Thursday, July 16, 2015

Why my cupboards are nearly bare

I have been contemplating writing this post since last fall when it was clear to me that our eating habits had changed for good. It wasn’t a conscious decision by either of us but a happy by-product of my recipe challenge from last year. Suddenly, packaged foods, foods with cream of whatever soups, anything that came out of a can, now tasted bland or extra salty. I was searching for recipes that didn’t have any of those ingredients and was excited to see new recipes for “whole foods”. We began eating many veggies and loving them. I used to despise carrots and cauliflower, but as it turns out, I just don’t like them raw or steamed. Roasted is the way to go for those vegetables! I have learned new cooking techniques that intimidated me before and now are just a quick step I don’t even think about when preparing a meal. Roux no longer frightens me.

We have also discovered that, with the exception of Chinese food, we don’t enjoy going out to eat as much because we feel like we could make it at home for a better price and it would be better for us. Really, I am paying for someone to do the dishes and I am too cheap to do that. We haven’t gone so far as to eliminate white sugar or white flour from our diets, in fact, I am of the opinion that sugar is not bad for our bodies if consumed in moderation, but we have begun eating more fresh foods, no convenience foods and foods that have more value to them.  When choosing veggies in the store I used to reach for the basics-lettuce, bananas, apples, potatoes and the occasional onion. Now we eat an enormous variety. I have learned so many things from this venture that I want to share with you.

 

1. You may dislike a vegetable because of the way it has always been served to you. Like I said, I used to despise cauliflower and carrots because they were ALWAYS served raw or steamed. Carrots were often cooked with roast making them bland and mushy. I learned to roast them and now we all get very excited when I am making them. Broccoli was one I would only eat smothered in cheese but now we roast it quite often. Asparagus, green beans, peppers, onions, brussel sprouts, leeks and sweet potatoes are some of the many other veggies that we have learned a lot about and now actually enjoy. I still don’t like zucchini.

2. There is a good chance your food is under-flavored. This was an eye opener for us! We started using fresh herbs and more onion in our cooking and we discovered that many dishes we hadn’t liked before(stroganoff, chicken stew, potato soup) was just lacking in flavor. Once we learned how to layer our flavors it gave eating a new joy. We actually enjoy eating in a completely different way than we used to. We don’t eat to fill up, we eat to enjoy. Going out to eat can be a huge let down now as we have gotten so used to eating full flavored food.

3. Butter. It really is better. I can honestly say that I still prefer margarine to top my toast. I don’t like the flavor of uncooked butter. But cooking with it transformed my food! We even use it sometimes when the recipe calls for olive oil. The flavor that it gives our food is absolutely unbeatable. And if you haven’t tried browning butter yet, you are missing out! Wowza! I realize that some people are under the impression that butter is unhealthy but I firmly believe in eating foods that have been processed as little as possible. Butter is as natural as it gets and the fats in butter are actually , mostly, good fats.

4. Onions are so under rated! I didn’t used to like onions. I’m still not a fan of raw ones but adding a good, sweet onion to a meal can enhance the flavors to make even the blandest of meals into something amazing. We have gotten back to a much simpler way of eating with more meat and veggie style meals and nearly all of them require a healthy dose of onion. We used to eat one a month but now we are eating a dozen or more each month. Just this past Friday evening I realized that we were completely out and kind of freaked because my entire menu required onions. On top of being absolutely delicious, onions are sooo good for you. They even help you fight off germs by giving your immune system a boost. Which brings me to my next point;

5. No more sluggishness. We used to experience severe sluggishness after dinner and now we feel refreshed after eating fresher foods with no preservatives. Now that summer is here, we have noticed that the sluggishness returns on nights we have chips with burgers or bratwurst. But we love brats and chips and once in a while it’s a nice treat.

6. Weightloss. For Jared. I have not achieved that particular happy side effect. I think one of the main reasons for this is because our meals stick with us longer. There is less snacking after dinner because meat and veggies last longer than highly processed foods.

7. Attitude changes. My kids were always pretty good about eating what they were served and even ate veggies pretty well. Now they get excited for them! We don’t cook a separate meal for them so they have tried, and mostly liked, everything we have tried over the last year+. Just tonight we had roasted cauliflower and green beans(from our garden) baked with chopped up chicken breast and topped with bacon and cheese. Everything we ate was healthy and “real” food but it was still a kid friendly, delicious meal that we all loved.

8. Budget. I am not going to lie, our food budget had to stretch a bit to compensate for the healthy foods that we were adding. I would say it is a 10-20% increase depending on the menu. We do eat less than we used to though, and veggies are actually incredibly cheap.

9. Shopping. The way I grocery shop has changed a lot. We can’t use many coupons anymore because they just don’t make them for the foods we eat. I get really excited when I find them for dairy products or condiments that we actually use. Same goes for price matching, when your diet is mostly veggies and meats, price matching is rarely an option.

10. It is worth the effort. We feel better, fuller, more content and we really enjoy food.

Of course, we break the rules and it will probably seem a bit hypocritical of me to post this the same day that I posted a photo of the baby eating cheetos. We are working on it. It will be an ever evolving lifestyle for us. I don’t buy cheetos often and it was a real treat for the girls. Plus, I hate cheetos so there is no temptation for me. I still drink soda occasionally and Jared is a big fan of potato chips. I feel like deprivation is not the way to go. If I ever find a way to make potato chips at home that are healthier and still taste good, I may do that. For now, we are working on it a little bit at a time. My cupboards are becoming more bare as time goes on and we eliminate more and more processed foods. At first, you miss it, but after a while, it doesn’t even occur to me to grab a can of condensed soup anymore. Little changes over time have a great impact. So if you see me in the grocery store with a cart full of chocolate, don’t hold it against me, I am a work in progress. Also, I am a Mom and chocolate is food group.

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Stitch fix-Take 2

I was really pleased with my first Stitch Fix box even though I only ended up keeping one item. This time around, I am in love!

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41Hawthorn Dita Sleeveless Ponte Dress $68

When I pulled this out of the box, Emily begged me to give it to her. She is a big fan of purple. I really loved the fit of this dress and will keep it. It is a deeper purple than the photo shows.

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Pixley Ohara Faux Wrap Tie-Waist Dress $68

I so badly wanted to love this one! I love the print and color and fabric but alas, my upper body did not love it. It would look fantastic on someone a couple cup sizes smaller.

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Level 99 Cindie Linen Short $78

Upon first glance, I didn’t love these. But they fit very well and are a bit longer so once I put them on, I wanted a pair in every color!

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Market and Spruce Char Geo Print Maxi Skirt $58

I adore this skirt! Cute print, great cut and the fabric doesn’t cling to my extra curves.

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Daniel Rainn Eliza Lace Trim Blouse $64

I love this style of top but they just don’t work on me. They hang funny and look like mumus. Again, it’s a cup size thing. This one is also shear and the last thing I want to do in summer is layer up.

Because I had a few friends sign up under my last link, I have a $100 dollar credit to use on this box. If I buy the entire box, I get a 25% discount making all 5 items minus my discount, $152. I went ahead and bought the whole box with the intention of selling the blue blouse and green dress on a Stitch Fix Facebook page. If I sell them both, I will have pretty much paid for my box, making my other 3 items totally free!

Once again, I have to recommend this service for anyone who needs help shopping. I love that it shows you how to style each item.

https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/5211886

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Stitch Fix Review

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I really enjoyed my whole experience with Stitch Fix. The clothes that I received were very high quality and cute. I have decided to keep one of the five items even though I really did love 3 of them.

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Liverpool Denise Bootcut Jean $78

These jeans were an obviously good quality and they fit pretty well. They were a little loose in the leg and they were a stretch denim. I am really not a fan of stretch denim so they are definitely going back.

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Gilli Gabbey Sleevless Maxi Dress-$74

I really liked this dress. My photography does not do it justice. It is a nice color, great fit and it is made from good fabric so it flows well. But, I have a dark blue maxi dress in my closet. And though I like this one better, I can’t quite justify it.

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Olive and Oak Liah Racerback Blouse-$48

Okay, this one fit soooo well! And it was long enough which tends to be a problem for me. The print was my issue with this one. It reminded me of the housedresses my Grandma wore.

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Renee C Huebert Space Dye Open Cardigan-$58

I really loved this. It fit so well and would be perfect for nursing….but it was $58. And I am a cheapskate.

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Pixley Millie Textured Dress-$68

This is the one I will probably keep. It fits very well and skims over my problem areas. It was comfortable and I really loved the pattern. $68 is more than I would typically spend on a dress but it was a very good quality.

When you order your box you spend a $20 styling fee that is then applied to any purchases you make. If you don’t purchase anything, you lose that $20. They also send a postage paid bag to mail back anything you don’t like and a styling card to show you ideas on how to wear the clothes. If you buy the whole box you get a pretty hefty discount, mine was over $70. I will probably be doing this again in the future because I really had fun! And, there is no impulse buying! Huge plus for me!

If you are interested in ordering your own box, here is the link.

http://stitchfix.com/referral/5211886

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Love the Skin You Are In!

---I need to preface this post by saying that I am not in any way shape or form endorsed by the companies I am about to tout. I spend my own good money on them and have never regretted a purchase. I am sharing just for the love of the products.---
I have had skin issues my whole adult life. Actually, I remember being a pre-teen and not being able to sleep at night because my legs itched so badly. As I get older, (almost 28 people!) it is only getting worse. Red bumps all over my legs, constantly dry, flaky skin on my face and oh the itching!!! I would find a new lotion at Walmart and it would provide relief for a few weeks but inevitably, before the bottle was even empty, I would break out in itchy red spots every time I use it.
And then I found Renew. A friend had been using it for many years and had recommended it a couple of times but I had been hesitant to try it because of the price. Now I am going to be honest. The price is high. About $19 for a 20oz bottle. A dollar an ounce is quite a bit higher than I would normally consider spending on anything but after the first bottle I was hooked. I use it on my entire body every day and it lasts me a couple of months. I even apply it to my face in place of moisturizer. No more itching, no more bumps and no more flaking! The lotion is the best feeling I have ever used as well. I use it to treat Molly’s dry skin and Caleb’s eczema and we all love it.
http://www.melaleuca.com/ProductStore/Product?sku=6600
When Molly was born she had slight eczema and very dry skin so our doctor told us not to bathe her more than once a week and to use a very mild bar soap like Dove. Well, Molly was a puker so we had to do more baths than that but using Dove over baby soap really did make a difference. Of course, it doesn’t have that awesome baby smell. So since it helped Molly so much, I decided to switch over all of our soap to Dove. It did help considerably but tended to leave a bit of a residue and it was still more drying for my skin than I liked. After much experimenting with other brands I was in our local grocery store one day and got a whiff of something amazing. And that was the beginning of my love affair with Pacha Soaps. These soaps are made here in Hastings and have the most amazing scent combinations. They are colored naturally and feel soooo good! I stopped using a bathroom air freshener because every time someone washes their hands, the house is flooded with the amazing scent of lemon and lavender. Once again, this is a product that I wouldn’t normally have spent this much money on but the feeling of the soap can’t be beat. It feel luxurious but is good for our skin and I love their mission statement.
http://www.pachasoap.com/
I have so many friends with skin issues and not every person will be able to use the same regimen but hopefully, my experience can help someone else out. Molly used to lay in bed and scratch her legs until they were red because they itched so badly. Now she doesn’t and as long as this lotion helps our skin, I will continue to pay the high amounts to make sure she doesn’t deal with it for as many years as I did.
The Renew lotion must be bought through a distributor but I have a friend who sells it so anyone who is interested I can get her info.

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Tornados don’t sound like trains to me.

Last night was the first time I have been through a tornado. Oh sure, we have had the sirens go off and I have rushed to many a basement in my life as a Nebraskan, but last night was the first time that a tornado ripped through my neighborhood. I am still in a bit of shock. I don’t think I have completely reconciled myself to the fact that we came that close to disaster.

The sirens blew at 4:22. My girls, as well as the boys I babysit, were already in the basement playing house. We had been in a tornado watch for a couple of hours so I thought it was just precautionary. I picked up Caleb and my phone and headed downstairs with the dog slinking in fear behind me. That should have been my first clue. Dogs know when the weather is scary.

I gathered all the kids around the laptop with the intention of pulling up Netflix so they could watch a cartoon to calm their nerves. Then we lost power and the siren stopped blowing. I put in a movie and headed upstairs to check it out, Jared as a natural Nebraska man, was outside checking out the storm. Then we got a call from a friend saying that a tornado was on the ground in town. I headed back downstairs even though it looked fine outside to me. I was bouncing Caleb on my lap when I heard the back door slam and Jared run down the stairs. He ran into the room and hollered at everyone to get away from the windows. That probably should have been my second clue.

The noise and wind lasted less than 30 seconds. It was intense but just seemed like wind to me. We can’t really see much from the basement windows so once it was over, Jared went upstairs to check it out. I followed a bit later to see tree branches and fence all over our yard. No major damage so I still hadn’t realized. Our neighbor pulled up to check on us and told us that houses were off their foundations. I walked back into my living room and looked out our front window and could see a house that we can’t normally see. It had been shoved off of its basement and was sitting in the back yard.

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The gal who lives here was found in her living room, safe. Had she been in her basement, that may not be true.

Jared immediately started clearing trees while I calmed down a very scared 5 year old. The power was going to be out for a while so we called Jareds parents to come get the kids so they could get supper. I am still in awe of how well all 5 kids handled it. Molly got scared and weepy but the others all took it in stride. Jared was checking on the neighbors who had a branch fall on their house when another large one fell right next to him. Fortunately, no one was home when their house was hit.

My in-laws were able to get into town to pick up the kids for us. They headed off to town and Jared and I set out to see what we could do to help. We drove a couple of blocks and the immensity of the damage started to sink in.

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This is one block from my house. One block. Not a town over, not a mile away; one block. This family lost a garage and a bunch of windows but they are okay. There were no major injuries. That is what I consider a miracle. There were dozens of people helping with the clean up and by the time Jared and I were able to get out to help, most of the homes had been patched up for the night. Southern Power worked hard to get our electricity back up for the night.

This morning, at dawn, men and tractors and trucks were already hard at work clearing away the mess. After lunch today, a group of men with chainsaws showed up in my yard to clear our the large branches that had broken in our back yard. The streets are cleared and they are moving out the tree debris. It’s amazing being from a small town that bands together like this. Lunch was being served at the church as well as the firestation and supper is being provided by Pinnacle bank. A neighbor with 5 young children lost their home. While they were in it. I can’t imagine what that poor mom must be going through. Before bedtime, someone had already started a fundraising page for them.

My family was so, incredibly fortunate. It is both amazing and terrifying to think that we escaped the damage by a block. One block, people. Let that sink in.

http://www.gofundme.com/txq6e9s9s

If you feel compelled to donate to a family in need, here is the link.

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Linky Love(totally copycatting my Momma)

I love the internet. It does so many things for me. I keep in touch with family and friends far away. I see photos of my friends little ones growing up. I learn how to make delicious meals for my family. I get all sorts of tips that help me live my life just a tad bit better. And of course there is Netflix. Here are some links that I have found recently that I have loved.
We got anaheim peppers in our Bountiful Basket last week so we made these for a family get together. Even the ones who don’t like spicy foods were fans of these. Jared made them all on his own too so that made them a winner in my book.

My girls love to color but Emily always wants to color specific things, not just a random picture in the coloring book. This site has everything and I love that some pictures are easier than others.

We cleaned our carpets this week. I am not a fan of commercial cleaners for anything in our home but the idea of using harsh chemicals on the carpet that my tiny baby plays on really bugged me. I found this and was very excited because it was so similar the my carpet spot cleaner recipe. It worked great and I added a couple drops of lavender  and lemon oil to add some extra fresh smell.

A friend posted this site to Facebook a couple weeks ago and I fell in LOVE!!! If I had all the money in the world I would buy every single one of these and never wear anything else! Check it out. The prices are really good as well.

I love baking with my girlies. It’s a bonding experience and if it gets stressful, which it often does with 2 kids who want to do everything, there is dessert at the end to make me feel all better! This recipe has been a huge hit with our whole family. It’s not too sweet and it is really pretty to look at which makes it more fun for the girls. It’s also really simple so if you are looking for a great Easter dessert that will have your family thinking you went all out, here it is!

We took the girls to see Cinderella a couple weeks ago and we all loved it. Even Jared enjoyed it, despite the singing, dancing and mushy stuff. In the movie, Ella’s mother sings her a lullaby that I had never heard of before. I happen to love nursery rhymes and lullabies so as soon as we got home I looked it up. This version is not near as pretty as the one in the movie but it did help me learn the words so I could sing it to little man.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7e1ACqWMFY

And finally, because this idea did come from her, here is a link to my Mom's blog. It only carries a teeny tiny percentage of her wisdom and you are guaranteed to learn something from it.
http://athomeatlakemac.blogspot.com/

Thursday, January 1, 2015

New Years Resolution’s

I am not going to make any resolutions about getting fit or eating healthier because, though we are doing that anyway, I don’t want to set myself up for failure. If I eat cake for Jared’s birthday in 4 weeks, I don’t want to feel guilty about it. So rather than restricting myself from something, I am challenging myself instead. Last years recipe challenge was fun and helpful for our family. This year I want to come up with more original recipes so I am going to attempt 1 a month. 12 original recipes sounds easy until I actually start thinking about it. I will need to stretch my imagination and be more adventurous but I think that is exactly what I need. It would be really easy for me to get back into a cooking slump after last year. Look for new blog posts chronicling my adventures in cooking.
Along with cooking, I love reading! It is another area that I tend to get very narrow minded about so this next challenge will help me expand my horizons.
This is a list of 52 books (50 categories, but one of the categories is a trilogy) to be read over the next 52 weeks. My Mom and I are attempting this challenge.

 
Here's the list and the books I have chosen:
• A book with more than 500 pages—Eragon by Christopher Paolini
• A classic romance—Emily of New Moon by L. M. Montgomery
• A book that became a movie—The Princess Bride by William Goldman
• A book published this year—Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
• A book with a number in the title—1984 by George Orwell
• A book written by someone under 30—The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
• A book with nonhuman characters—Stardust by Neil Gaiman
• A funny book—Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
• A book by a female author—The Kings Curse by Phillippa Gregory
• A mystery or thriller—California Scheming by Kate George
• A book with a one-word title—Katherine by Anya Seton
• A book of short stories—A Few Quick Ones by PG Wodehouse
• A book set in a different country—People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
• A nonfiction book—The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure
• A popular author’s first book—The Thomas Berryman Number by James Patterson
• A book from an author you love that you haven’t read yet—Cuckoos Calling by JK Rowling under a pseudonym
• A book a friend recommended—Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
• A Pulitzer Price-winning book—Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
• A book based on a true story—The Second Empress by Michelle Moran
• A book at the bottom of your to-read list—On A Pale Horse by Piers Anthony
• A book your mom loves—Persuasion by Jane Austen
• A book that scares you--The Stand by Stephen King
• A book more than 100 years old—Little Women by Louisa Mae Alcott
• A book based entirely on its cover—Black Out by John Lawton
• A book you were supposed to read in school but didn’t—The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
• A memoir—Bossypants by Tina Fey
• A book you can finish in a day—A Date To Die For by Kathryn Long
• A book with antonyms in the title—Up The Down Staircase by Bel Kaufman
• A book set somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit—The Constantine Codex by Paul L Maier
• A book that came out the year you were born—Fried Green Tomatoes by Fannie Flagg
• A book with bad reviews—Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
• A trilogy—The Tea Rose Trilogy by Jennifer Donnelly
• A book from your childhood—Redwall by Brian Jaques
• A book with a love triangle—The Host by Stephenie Meyer
• A book set in the future—The Giver by Lois Lowry
• A book set in high school—The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
• A book with a color in the title—Crimson Liberty by George Morrison
• A book that made you cry—The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
• A book with magic—The Realm by Conrad Powell
• A graphic novel—TBD once I have found the box that holds Jared’s comic books.
• A book by an author you’ve never read before—The Intercept by Dick Wolf
• A book you own but have never read—Broken Days by Ann Rinaldi
• A book that takes place in your home town—This one is going to take some research. There is an awesome thriller set in Paxton, Nebraska called Cornstalked that I wouldn’t mind rereading.
• A book that was originally written in a different language—Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
• A book set during Christmas—Blue Christmas by Diane Moody
• A book written by an author with your same initials—In this case I am going to have to check the libraries shelves.
• A play—Taming of the Shrew by Shakespeare
• A banned book—Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
• A book based on or turned into a TV show—Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• A book you started but never finished—Rebecca by Daphne de Maurier
While the "rules" for this challenge are fluid, nothing says you can't re-read a book you've read before. Here are the unofficial rules, which include:
• All books are acceptable except children's books (i.e. Run Spot Run) (young adult books are fine).
• All forms of books are acceptable including e-books, audio books, etc.