Hubby and I are slowly moving more and more towards an organic lifestyle. It has been an “organic transition” into the “organic world” and my husband has been way better with this than I care to admit.
Here are a list of our changes within our home:
Refined sugars and empty carbohydrates are slowly disappearing from our kitchen cupboards.
Our spring/summer garden will assist us more in our organic ways.
We are almost always washing our clothes with homemade detergent.
We have switched Hubby to paraben/chemical free hygiene products.
I am slowly going through my stockpile of shampoos and conditioners before jumping into the organic world.
I have a load of deodorants that will need to be given away or used. I am torn on deciding on what to do with them. I have ordered organic deodorant, but am wondering if I should go through the 17 I have in my closet…..ya, I know… but they were good deals!
I am making my own lotion and have actually sold a couple of jars to people who really like the great moisturizing.
Finally- I have stopped purchasing soda for the home and half dropped my consumption of diet drinks to half. I know it should be more, but I think it is better for me to move slowly on this issue. Lent has definitely helped in this area.
So- what about you? Are you moving more towards organic? If so, in what you implemented to move towards a permanent change?
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Pa. abortion doctor's license suspended after raid
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Federal agents raided a clinic where abortions are performed and found "deplorable and unsanitary" conditions, including blood on the floor and parts of aborted fetuses in jars, according to the state agency that shut it down and suspended the license of the doctor in charge.
In the order suspending Dr. Kermit Gosnell's license, the Pennsylvania Department of State's Board of Medicine said investigators found numerous health and safety risks at Gosnell's abortion and pain-management clinic, including a preoperative and recovery area that consisted of several recliners grouped together.
The Women's Medical Society clinic is open during the day, but Gosnell does not arrive until somewhere between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. and is the only person with a medical license working there, according to the order.
A clinic employee told investigators that Gosnell directed her in his absence to conduct gynecological examinations and administer painkillers to patients, the document states.
The temporary suspension of Gosnell's license follows at least two raids by agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI. At the time of one raid - at 9 p.m. on Feb. 18 - investigators found the clinic full of patients.
On Nov. 20, the document states, a patient died after being given two separate doses of painkillers plus anesthesia before an abortion.
Gosnell's number is unlisted and calls to the clinic rang unanswered. It's not known if he has an attorney. His practice is located near the University of Pennsylvania campus in a large corner building, where a note in the window said that all patient appointments were canceled.
No criminal charges have been filed. Officials from the Philadelphia district attorney's office, DEA and FBI declined to comment, citing the ongoing probe and a sealed search warrant.
Kenneth E. Brody, attorney for the Pennsylvania Department of Health, confirmed that the department was assisting in the investigation but declined to discuss details.
Separate from the criminal probe, an investigation by state regulators will determine whether there is enough evidence for a formal hearing before the state Board of Medicine, said Department of State spokesman Charles Young.
"The petition alleges in this case that there is a threat to public safety," Young said, "but he is presumed innocent until proven otherwise."
According to Department of State records, Gosnell, 69, received his medical license in 1967. He also was authorized to practice medicine in New York in 1970.
In 1996, he was fined $1,000 by the Pennsylvania Board of Medicine for employing an uncertified physician's assistant. No other disciplinary actions were found.
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20100224/D9E28RNO0.html
In the order suspending Dr. Kermit Gosnell's license, the Pennsylvania Department of State's Board of Medicine said investigators found numerous health and safety risks at Gosnell's abortion and pain-management clinic, including a preoperative and recovery area that consisted of several recliners grouped together.
The Women's Medical Society clinic is open during the day, but Gosnell does not arrive until somewhere between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. and is the only person with a medical license working there, according to the order.
A clinic employee told investigators that Gosnell directed her in his absence to conduct gynecological examinations and administer painkillers to patients, the document states.
The temporary suspension of Gosnell's license follows at least two raids by agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI. At the time of one raid - at 9 p.m. on Feb. 18 - investigators found the clinic full of patients.
On Nov. 20, the document states, a patient died after being given two separate doses of painkillers plus anesthesia before an abortion.
Gosnell's number is unlisted and calls to the clinic rang unanswered. It's not known if he has an attorney. His practice is located near the University of Pennsylvania campus in a large corner building, where a note in the window said that all patient appointments were canceled.
No criminal charges have been filed. Officials from the Philadelphia district attorney's office, DEA and FBI declined to comment, citing the ongoing probe and a sealed search warrant.
Kenneth E. Brody, attorney for the Pennsylvania Department of Health, confirmed that the department was assisting in the investigation but declined to discuss details.
Separate from the criminal probe, an investigation by state regulators will determine whether there is enough evidence for a formal hearing before the state Board of Medicine, said Department of State spokesman Charles Young.
"The petition alleges in this case that there is a threat to public safety," Young said, "but he is presumed innocent until proven otherwise."
According to Department of State records, Gosnell, 69, received his medical license in 1967. He also was authorized to practice medicine in New York in 1970.
In 1996, he was fined $1,000 by the Pennsylvania Board of Medicine for employing an uncertified physician's assistant. No other disciplinary actions were found.
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20100224/D9E28RNO0.html
WHEELIN’ WEDNESDAY
I forgot to tell you about an easy deal I picked up at Target last week.
Clean and Clear facial cleanser has been selling for $1.12. I coupled that with a 2.00 off coupon and obtained the product for free. This particular cashier didn’t lower the value of the coupon and allowed me to apply the net value of the coupon towards another product. I don’t know if that is acceptable or not- do you?
In the meantime- our local Bi-Lo grocery store has a couple carts of Pantene and Aveeno products drastically reduced. This grocery store doubles coupons up to $.99 and I personally like the store. They can be expensive, but when you mix the sales with the coupons- you tend to pay less than at a Wal-mart.
I may also stop at Target and pick up Rimmel mascara using the coupon from ALLYOU magazine. I just threw out a tube and my other two tubes are starting to run dry.
Clean and Clear facial cleanser has been selling for $1.12. I coupled that with a 2.00 off coupon and obtained the product for free. This particular cashier didn’t lower the value of the coupon and allowed me to apply the net value of the coupon towards another product. I don’t know if that is acceptable or not- do you?
In the meantime- our local Bi-Lo grocery store has a couple carts of Pantene and Aveeno products drastically reduced. This grocery store doubles coupons up to $.99 and I personally like the store. They can be expensive, but when you mix the sales with the coupons- you tend to pay less than at a Wal-mart.
I may also stop at Target and pick up Rimmel mascara using the coupon from ALLYOU magazine. I just threw out a tube and my other two tubes are starting to run dry.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Saturated Saturday
The devil was out in full force today at the abortion clinic. We had three cops watching every move. They were taking down any sign that was not physically touched by a pro-lifer. They were checking the loudness of our speakers (we have people who preach) to the point that we gave up on even using any equipment. In the meantime, the owner of the clinic and her "college friends" continue to video record and take notes at an alarming rate.
Click here to see some of the footage of the police making sure we weren't "violating" any laws while babies die under the law.
Click here to see some of the footage of the police making sure we weren't "violating" any laws while babies die under the law.
DR KNOW SERIES 2
To continue where we left off, there are what I consider the basics. There are a few more amendments that you should add to your garden. First, I always put in a bag of gypsum. It is cheap and natural. It contains the calcium that is so important to your soil to have and also sulfur. On top of this, it actually helps to aerate your soil. Now something that I have started to do is spray a foliar spray on to my plants. I use something called BioFlora and it contains 72 trace elements and it restores the vitamins and minerals that are no longer in the soil that the plants used to take up. This has been caused by years of farming the same land and now the vegetables are not nearly as nutritious as say 100 years ago. You can use a lot of products such as kelp that will do basically the same thing. A great magazine to subscribe to is called ACRES USA. This is a magazine for organic farmers and has advertisements for all kind of companies. The one problem I found that some of these sprays have particle sizes that are so large that they plugged up my foliar sprayers, so I switched to BioFlora for this reason. I bought a five gallon bucket for about fifty dollars and since you dilute it down, it will last for years. So as you can see. I really try to keep my investment to a minimum as gardening can be really expensive if you let it. People are always amazed at how little I do spend on my crops. Next time let us take a look at insect prevention.
DR KNOW ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS
Anonymous said...
Can you give us some tips on natural pest control? We find the bugs get to our garden before we can! This is our third year gardening and we would love to know what you recommend!
We are located in NC and the soil is mostly clay.
For tips on pest control, You may not be too happy with what I have to say, and that in most cases in my garden I let happen what ever happens. I find that if I apply natural pest control, it not only drives out the bad insects, but the good ones too. So I try to let nature balance things out. A quick story. We all know what tomato hornworms are. We hate them as they can invade our gardens with a vengeance and one morning we come out and half our tomato plants are eaten up. Anyway once I decided to go organic, a funny thing happened. The tomato worms went away and did not come back. Why of course, was because their natural enemies came into the garden and took them out! I would have never believed it if it had not happened to me. I no longer worry about holes in my cabbage or eggplant I accept it, and if someone says something about my organic food when I am selling it, I just say well if there are no pesticides on it, you will see a little insect damage. Now I will admit that the one thing that even I cannot put up with sometimes is a strong invasion of aphids. So I do two things; one is a go down to a local feed store and buy diatomaceous earth and spread it all over my plants that are invaded too much. Normally it is my watermelons and cantaloupes. If you do not know what that is, it is when the seas receded in places like Death Valley in California and left these smaller shelled animals to die and left this layer of these guys called diatomaceous earth. The sharp shells that are minute cut into the soft bodies of the aphids as they crawl all over the plant and it kills them . I is much cheaper in the feed stores than from seed supply companies, as ranchers use it in the stables as a way to control the fly and the larva populations. The other thing that I do is I take garlic and the hottest peppers that I can find and mix them in a blender. I then pour this into a cheesecloth and set that into the top of my sprayer and let it soak into the water. The heat of the peppers and the stink of the garlic will drive the insects ( works on most of them anyway) off of your plants, and after you spray your garden and come back into the house, the smell will mean that you sleep on the couch tonight! The other thing that you should consider is planting bait plants that will attract the bugs that are getting to your main crops. You will see organic farmers do this a lot. So maybe they are trying to save their tomatoes from the horn worm . Well the hornworms will eat peppers also. So you plant these around the tomatoes as a barrier and they go after this crop instead of the tomatoes. It works, but for me I prefer the spray and the earth. I hope this helps but think about what I said of trying not to use even natural pesticides: if you drive out the bad guys, you will drive out the good guys too.
Can you give us some tips on natural pest control? We find the bugs get to our garden before we can! This is our third year gardening and we would love to know what you recommend!
We are located in NC and the soil is mostly clay.
For tips on pest control, You may not be too happy with what I have to say, and that in most cases in my garden I let happen what ever happens. I find that if I apply natural pest control, it not only drives out the bad insects, but the good ones too. So I try to let nature balance things out. A quick story. We all know what tomato hornworms are. We hate them as they can invade our gardens with a vengeance and one morning we come out and half our tomato plants are eaten up. Anyway once I decided to go organic, a funny thing happened. The tomato worms went away and did not come back. Why of course, was because their natural enemies came into the garden and took them out! I would have never believed it if it had not happened to me. I no longer worry about holes in my cabbage or eggplant I accept it, and if someone says something about my organic food when I am selling it, I just say well if there are no pesticides on it, you will see a little insect damage. Now I will admit that the one thing that even I cannot put up with sometimes is a strong invasion of aphids. So I do two things; one is a go down to a local feed store and buy diatomaceous earth and spread it all over my plants that are invaded too much. Normally it is my watermelons and cantaloupes. If you do not know what that is, it is when the seas receded in places like Death Valley in California and left these smaller shelled animals to die and left this layer of these guys called diatomaceous earth. The sharp shells that are minute cut into the soft bodies of the aphids as they crawl all over the plant and it kills them . I is much cheaper in the feed stores than from seed supply companies, as ranchers use it in the stables as a way to control the fly and the larva populations. The other thing that I do is I take garlic and the hottest peppers that I can find and mix them in a blender. I then pour this into a cheesecloth and set that into the top of my sprayer and let it soak into the water. The heat of the peppers and the stink of the garlic will drive the insects ( works on most of them anyway) off of your plants, and after you spray your garden and come back into the house, the smell will mean that you sleep on the couch tonight! The other thing that you should consider is planting bait plants that will attract the bugs that are getting to your main crops. You will see organic farmers do this a lot. So maybe they are trying to save their tomatoes from the horn worm . Well the hornworms will eat peppers also. So you plant these around the tomatoes as a barrier and they go after this crop instead of the tomatoes. It works, but for me I prefer the spray and the earth. I hope this helps but think about what I said of trying not to use even natural pesticides: if you drive out the bad guys, you will drive out the good guys too.
DR KNOW ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS
Mama-cita Whitney said...
Sorry if this is a stupid question but what would you recommend for starting a compost and building up/feeding the soil in a vegetable garden?
Well for the question on compost, I again really think people make it more complex than it is. I mean you can do this and you can do that, but I just start a pile of leaves and keep cutting my grass and throwing it on top of the leaves , or just plain grass if I do not have any leaves and I keep it somewhat moist ( about the moistness of a wet sponge), and let it break down after 3-4 weeks I take a pitchfork and move the pile over and at the very bottom everything has broken down into a compost I take a shovel or the pitchfork and just take that out and spread it into the garden. I normally only do this in the winter when the soil is just too wet to work. In the warmer weather I really do not do a compost pile, I take the leaves and the grass and throw it in the garden every week and rototill it right into the soil. Your soil is alive and needs to eat. So why would you leave it in a pile to break down when you can take the same materials and mix it right in the soil as soon as you cut the grass or rake the leaves? While I could throw my food scraps into the garden ( I do throw the eggshells in for calcium) I give them instead to my chickens. They just lay better with fresh greens to eat , so I have to make a choice. Another thing that I do with the fresh cut grass is I use it to mulch around my plants that either have an issue with water shortages between watering, or with heat/sun issues. So if you see my garden you will notice that I always mulch my tomatoes and my peppers. These two guys really are sensitive to moisture fluctuations, and the peppers have trouble with too much heat. People are always amazed when I tell them I only water every two weeks. Yet the mulch keeps the moisture in, and the plants cooler. Also you will see less problems from tomatoes cracking by controlling the moisture and coolness levels with the mulch. Like I said when I first came on. Gardening should be fun and not a lot of work, We grow them to enjoy and not to become slaves to. People are always amazed when I tell them that I average only about 30 minutes a day in my garden, but it is true. We can buy the composters ( hey I had one), and buy the special chemicals to break it down, and all of that, and yes it works, but you don't really need to, and you will get results without spending all this money.
Sorry if this is a stupid question but what would you recommend for starting a compost and building up/feeding the soil in a vegetable garden?
Well for the question on compost, I again really think people make it more complex than it is. I mean you can do this and you can do that, but I just start a pile of leaves and keep cutting my grass and throwing it on top of the leaves , or just plain grass if I do not have any leaves and I keep it somewhat moist ( about the moistness of a wet sponge), and let it break down after 3-4 weeks I take a pitchfork and move the pile over and at the very bottom everything has broken down into a compost I take a shovel or the pitchfork and just take that out and spread it into the garden. I normally only do this in the winter when the soil is just too wet to work. In the warmer weather I really do not do a compost pile, I take the leaves and the grass and throw it in the garden every week and rototill it right into the soil. Your soil is alive and needs to eat. So why would you leave it in a pile to break down when you can take the same materials and mix it right in the soil as soon as you cut the grass or rake the leaves? While I could throw my food scraps into the garden ( I do throw the eggshells in for calcium) I give them instead to my chickens. They just lay better with fresh greens to eat , so I have to make a choice. Another thing that I do with the fresh cut grass is I use it to mulch around my plants that either have an issue with water shortages between watering, or with heat/sun issues. So if you see my garden you will notice that I always mulch my tomatoes and my peppers. These two guys really are sensitive to moisture fluctuations, and the peppers have trouble with too much heat. People are always amazed when I tell them I only water every two weeks. Yet the mulch keeps the moisture in, and the plants cooler. Also you will see less problems from tomatoes cracking by controlling the moisture and coolness levels with the mulch. Like I said when I first came on. Gardening should be fun and not a lot of work, We grow them to enjoy and not to become slaves to. People are always amazed when I tell them that I average only about 30 minutes a day in my garden, but it is true. We can buy the composters ( hey I had one), and buy the special chemicals to break it down, and all of that, and yes it works, but you don't really need to, and you will get results without spending all this money.
Friday, February 19, 2010
FRIDAY'S FAVORITES: STATIONS OF THE CROSS
During the season of Lent we can spend time perfecting ourselves. Praying the Stations of the Cross is one of the most wonderful forms of prayers/meditation that one can utilize now (or anytime) to help us focus on Our Lord.
I know that I need to focus my heart towards God and away from my own problems. Through my focus on Our Lord- all other problems will be resolved.
The first week of Lent and the last week of Lent are the hardest for me. It is difficult to switch gears, but this meditation is sure to strengthen your resolve and perfect your imperfections.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Dr.KNOW ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS
nonymous said...
How big should my garden be? I am married with one baby (not yet one).
Well that is a great question and one that only you can answer. I think the one thing that I finally figured out after being married forever is what my family likes to eat and does not like to eat. I would plant things like black eyed peas and discover that I was the only one that liked to eat them. Yet I found out that my family loved watermelons and cantaloupes. So by asking, it allowed me to figure out what to plant first of all, then I could figure my footage. Another thing is are you going to can or freeze any of your food. My wife likes to freeze tomatoes for the winter. One of my daughters likes to make tomato sauce and freeze it for use. Also if you are like me, I am forever planting new vegetables or herbs to see if we like them or not . It is fun to try stuff out. Like for me this year it was rutabagas, and last year it was parsnips. I also tried radicchio. Well guess what? Rutabagas and parsnips gained a spot in the garden. Another thing that I also do, and if you have limited space, is that I double crop. So I have a row of bok choy, onions, spinach, and carrots right now. So I planted tomatoes yesterday and as I did, I uprooted some of the vegetables that I had planted in the row already. As the tomatoes get bigger I harvest more of the earlier crop, thereby using less land and harvesting a lot more. You can do a lot of this if you plan it out.
To me if there are the two of you, right now I would think that you could get most of your immediate needs out of three fifty foot rows. I know my brother every year freezes a lot of his vegetables to the point he actually fills out one entire freezer for the winter. So if you are inclined to do this you really can save a lot of money. As you know food is really going up. I hope this helps you in your planning stages.
Sincerely,
Dr. Know
How big should my garden be? I am married with one baby (not yet one).
Well that is a great question and one that only you can answer. I think the one thing that I finally figured out after being married forever is what my family likes to eat and does not like to eat. I would plant things like black eyed peas and discover that I was the only one that liked to eat them. Yet I found out that my family loved watermelons and cantaloupes. So by asking, it allowed me to figure out what to plant first of all, then I could figure my footage. Another thing is are you going to can or freeze any of your food. My wife likes to freeze tomatoes for the winter. One of my daughters likes to make tomato sauce and freeze it for use. Also if you are like me, I am forever planting new vegetables or herbs to see if we like them or not . It is fun to try stuff out. Like for me this year it was rutabagas, and last year it was parsnips. I also tried radicchio. Well guess what? Rutabagas and parsnips gained a spot in the garden. Another thing that I also do, and if you have limited space, is that I double crop. So I have a row of bok choy, onions, spinach, and carrots right now. So I planted tomatoes yesterday and as I did, I uprooted some of the vegetables that I had planted in the row already. As the tomatoes get bigger I harvest more of the earlier crop, thereby using less land and harvesting a lot more. You can do a lot of this if you plan it out.
To me if there are the two of you, right now I would think that you could get most of your immediate needs out of three fifty foot rows. I know my brother every year freezes a lot of his vegetables to the point he actually fills out one entire freezer for the winter. So if you are inclined to do this you really can save a lot of money. As you know food is really going up. I hope this helps you in your planning stages.
Sincerely,
Dr. Know
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Manic Monday
This Week
Music: I stepped down as choir director on Saturday. I guess it really was the day the music died- for
me.
Work: Continues to be stressful, but I am grateful to have the employment.
Projects:Prepare for Lent
What is going on in your week?
Music: I stepped down as choir director on Saturday. I guess it really was the day the music died- for
me.
Work: Continues to be stressful, but I am grateful to have the employment.
Projects:Prepare for Lent
What is going on in your week?
Sunday, February 14, 2010
SPECIAL POSTING SERIES: DR KNOW
My father is an avid organic gardener and has volunteered to write a series for my blog. Please ask questions and he will answer them. Here is his first posting:
Starting in the month of February we are adding on a special section for organic and natural gardeners. It will be called Ask Dr. Know. You are welcome to write in at any time with your vegetable gardening or farming questions. I may not know all of the answers but I would do the best to find you an answer. I only have two minor requests: Please no questions on insects as I really do not feel that I can answer a lot of these questions without looking at your plants, and no questions about anything other than vegetables. I cannot eat flowers so I could care less about them. My background: I come from a long line of farmers and although I am not one at the moment, I am what you would call a market gardener. I grow products in an oversized garden and sell it to the end users. I ship into other states at times to customers, to local stores, to produce stands, and at the moment to three different organic cooperatives. I grow all natural and most would refer to me as organic. I do not use any chemicals on my crops nor do I use any chemical insecticides. So when you ask questions, it will be answered from an organic/natural viewpoint. I live in a zone 9 so my answers may differ a little depending on your zone.
I feel that many people ruin gardening for themselves and make more work out of it than it really is. If you are working that hard, then you cannot enjoy what gardening is all about. It is a wonderful hobby, it offends no one, and you can save a lot of money with little money invested in what you are doing. We have a chance to take what God has given us on this earth, and use it wisely to the best of our abilities.
In Arizona as many of you know, we garden year round. So for us we are in the garden weekly except when the ground is too wet to work it. The key here is that you must always remember that the soil is a living thing with all kinds of activity going on. You as the owner of this soil must remember that just like a child, that it must always be fed. Otherwise it will be stunted and not grow properly. It is estimated that roughly 10% of the organic matter that you put onto your soil is used up every year, so it does not take long for that soil to be depleted. For me the winter is a good time to take all of the leaves and put them in the rows of my garden and rototill them in to start to feed the little guys. It rains and it starts to break the leaves down along with the dead grass. Sometimes I will take my mower out and just mow the dead grass and mix that in with the soil. While I am not a big manure fan because of the possible build up of the salts in this alkali soil I do go to my chicken coop and throw in some chicken poop to heat things up a little. Of course the other thing is that when I cut my weeds down if they are not seeding yet, I mix this green fodder back into the soil also and let it break down. If the weeds are too big, I throw them to my goat or the chickens. The girls love the green food and oblige with a spike in their egg laying. Most people do not realize that if they had their way, chickens would prefer a diet of only about 20% of chicken feed of some sort, and the rest would be green fodder and insects.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
RECIPE: LOW CARB BURGERS WITH SWEET PEPPERS
***Adding the sliced peppers to the pan with a bit of olive oil**
***I turned off the stove once the peppers had that nice black color. I did not cook the tops of these (underside)***
***You can see the hot sauce under the cheese**
***The onions are under the two patties and the pepper jack cheese has been melted on each patty***
Hubby has been asking for burgers all week and I finally made them today.
Meat
I chose 93% lean beef
I added:
Chopped garlic
Salt
Pepper
Cayenne pepper
Chili powder
Ketchup
Texas Pete Hot Sauce
Cheese for the burger was a Pepper Jack
I then slice sweet peppers and onions for the rest of the meal. The onions I sauteed with the burger and the peppers were cooked in a skillet on their own.
Once done, I added hot sauce and cheese to the peppers and then added the onions and two patties.
Easy recipe and very tasty!
Monday, February 8, 2010
TALK TUESDAY: RANDOMNESS
TEN RANDOM THINGS ABOUT ME...
1. I don't have a shoe fetish
2. I don't like sandwiches
3. I clean better when I am on the telephone
4. I enjoy British television shows
5. I am learning my first tenor and bass lines
6. I hate scary movies.
7. I don't like cotton candy
8. I love to be in a church when it is completely empty
9. I like to shop online
10. I enjoy balancing checkbooks and budgeting
Your Turn!
1. I don't have a shoe fetish
2. I don't like sandwiches
3. I clean better when I am on the telephone
4. I enjoy British television shows
5. I am learning my first tenor and bass lines
6. I hate scary movies.
7. I don't like cotton candy
8. I love to be in a church when it is completely empty
9. I like to shop online
10. I enjoy balancing checkbooks and budgeting
Your Turn!
Spiritual Sunday
Sexagesima Sunday
We are entering a more solemn time of the liturgical year with just one Sunday left before Lent.
During this time we all must reflect on increasing our spiritual life as well as increasing sacrifices.
I just finished my list of Lenten promises which will include reading daily and excerpt of “Divine Intimacy”.
This wonderful book can be read each and every day throughout the liturgical season (with a few areas that are a tiny bit outdated). I often read this book on Sundays, but plan to integrate it into my daily routine during the Lent. This coupled with other spiritual books will help during this preparatory time before Easter.
What book(s) will you be utilizing?
Check out this post regarding a spiritual diary.
We are entering a more solemn time of the liturgical year with just one Sunday left before Lent.
During this time we all must reflect on increasing our spiritual life as well as increasing sacrifices.
I just finished my list of Lenten promises which will include reading daily and excerpt of “Divine Intimacy”.
This wonderful book can be read each and every day throughout the liturgical season (with a few areas that are a tiny bit outdated). I often read this book on Sundays, but plan to integrate it into my daily routine during the Lent. This coupled with other spiritual books will help during this preparatory time before Easter.
What book(s) will you be utilizing?
Check out this post regarding a spiritual diary.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Saturated Saturday
I tend to call a number of family members during my Saturday routine and today was no exception. I managed to speak with my mother, younger brother, and two sisters while I worked around my home.
Here the breakdown of the day:
Went through mail
Paid bills
Washed guest bedroom sheets
Washed master bedroom pillow cases
Washed all clothes but Hubby's work shirts
Washed dishes
Loaded dishwasher
Swept, washed/polished foyer wood floor
Made lunch
Made dinner
Went to Mass
Went to store
Arranged flowers
Shower
Bed time
How about you?
Here the breakdown of the day:
Went through mail
Paid bills
Washed guest bedroom sheets
Washed master bedroom pillow cases
Washed all clothes but Hubby's work shirts
Washed dishes
Loaded dishwasher
Swept, washed/polished foyer wood floor
Made lunch
Made dinner
Went to Mass
Went to store
Arranged flowers
Shower
Bed time
How about you?
Thursday, February 4, 2010
FAVORITES FOR JANUARY
Make up
I have enjoyed wearing this lip combination during these very cold and dark winter days.
Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmer in the color Cocoa
With Burt’s Bees Super Shiny lip gloss in the color Pucker Berry
Cover Girl Lip Liner in the color Grape Soda
At night I have been using Yes to Carrots lip balm just before bed to keep my lips hydrated
Lotion
My home made lotion has been great for my keeping my feet soft.
Clothes
I am really enjoying three shrug sweaters I have picked up over the last two months. They just make me look more polished while keeping me warm throughout the day.
Jewelry
My parents gave me a pair of white gold/yellow gold hoop earrings that I have been pairing with a white/gold necklace my in laws gave me- love it!
Food
Sweet peppers!
FRIDAY’S FAVORITES: MAKING THINGS AT HOME
As a child, I had all sorts of bottles and boxes filled with made up concoctions on my dresser. Most of them contained baby powder and old perfume, but I was creating!
Fast forward a number of years and I am doing the same thing.
Last night I put together the ingredients for body wash based on this recipe (cut in half).
I was pleasantly surprised to find that it worked and that I can use this soap for body wash or even for hand soap. Very easy to make and I enjoyed every second of it.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
THOUGHTful Thursday: I Am a Mouse
My friend and I were laughing hysterically a couple of days ago over a picture I had painted regarding my life at home.
I painted myself as a little mouse scurrying to and fro, up and down, and all around in circles in my house doing all sorts of things. What things? Lots of things and I shall give you a few examples.
Two nights ago my husband walked into the master bathroom and found me crouched down on the floor (like a mouse) with anti bacterial wipes. Yes, I was wiping the floor with those…trying to get all my hair collected and into the trash (I must do this four times a week-argh).
Once done with that- I moved onto cleaning out my purse and my work bag and then ran downstairs to load the dishwasher and empty out the dryer.
I then headed upstairs and started testing different foundations on my face to ensure they all matched my skin tone (I have a thing for make up)
Sunday afternoon he came looking for me and found me barricaded in by ten freshly ironed shirts in the bedroom doorway. During this time I had managed to watch a documentary on the hieroglyphics of the Mayans and was now heading into a documentary into the history of the Dark Ages.
I don’t know how many times he has caught me re-arranging a drawer, grating soap for laundry detergent or crocheting a blanket that is eternally only one-third complete.
I just don’t know what my husband thinks of me, but he had got to be amused because I amuse myself as that little mouse with all my little ideas…don’t get me started on when he finds me alternating between singing four part polyphony with conjugating the Spanish verbs estar and ser.
Does your husband think you are a little mouse too?
I painted myself as a little mouse scurrying to and fro, up and down, and all around in circles in my house doing all sorts of things. What things? Lots of things and I shall give you a few examples.
Two nights ago my husband walked into the master bathroom and found me crouched down on the floor (like a mouse) with anti bacterial wipes. Yes, I was wiping the floor with those…trying to get all my hair collected and into the trash (I must do this four times a week-argh).
Once done with that- I moved onto cleaning out my purse and my work bag and then ran downstairs to load the dishwasher and empty out the dryer.
I then headed upstairs and started testing different foundations on my face to ensure they all matched my skin tone (I have a thing for make up)
Sunday afternoon he came looking for me and found me barricaded in by ten freshly ironed shirts in the bedroom doorway. During this time I had managed to watch a documentary on the hieroglyphics of the Mayans and was now heading into a documentary into the history of the Dark Ages.
I don’t know how many times he has caught me re-arranging a drawer, grating soap for laundry detergent or crocheting a blanket that is eternally only one-third complete.
I just don’t know what my husband thinks of me, but he had got to be amused because I amuse myself as that little mouse with all my little ideas…don’t get me started on when he finds me alternating between singing four part polyphony with conjugating the Spanish verbs estar and ser.
Does your husband think you are a little mouse too?
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Wheelin’ Wednesday
I snagged the monitor at Walgreens this week and earned 10.00 in RR’s which I then mailed out to my younger sister.
I prefer sticking with just one drugstore for deal snagging. I can’t handle more than one of these stores during the week do to time constraints and my crazy organization problems (procrastinator) .
I also snagged the Dove’s Body Wash I posted about here.
I prefer sticking with just one drugstore for deal snagging. I can’t handle more than one of these stores during the week do to time constraints and my crazy organization problems (procrastinator) .
I also snagged the Dove’s Body Wash I posted about here.
TACOS WITH SWEET PEPPERS
Base Ingredients
Ground beef (we us 90% lean)
Finely chopped onion (I tend to not use more than half an onion)
Finely chopped sweet peppers (about 3 or 4 of these)
Finely chopped garlic
Olive oil for the tortillas
Corn tortillas**or you can use low carb wraps**
Seasonings
All my seasoning is to taste so I won’t have an exact amount. Base this on how spicy you want the dish
Salt
Pepper
Cayenne pepper
Chili powder
Hot sauce
Ketchup
Cumin
Toppings that we use
Shredded cheese (whatever you prefer-doesn’t have to be crumbling queso)
Taco sauce or salsa
I usually start browning the ground beef at a medium heat as I chop up the onions, peppers, and garlic. Please note, that if fresh jalapenos are available- I will add those to the recipe.
While this is cooking- I heat up the pan for the corn tortillas to be fried. Yes, you can opt to not fry them, but where is the fun in that?
I fry my tortillas in olive oil and try not to use too much….kind of adding as I go along. Make sure you set up a plate with paper towels on the side and have a good pair of tongs for turning.
Fry the tortilla flat for about 20 seconds before folding in half to make the actual tortilla. The pan should be heated on a high heat and then gradually lowered as you fry more. It is important that you turn that heat down or you will burn the tortillas in a crazy way.
Once the ground beef is evenly distributed in the pan and fairly brown- I will add the onions, garlic, and peppers to the mix.
Now, we put together the taco as follows (per my husband’s exact orders)
Open taco shell
Add meat
Ketchup
Cheese
Taco sauce
And enjoy!
Monday, February 1, 2010
TASTEFUL TUESDAYS: SWEET PEPPERS
Hubby and I have recently added this to our usual stir fry mix and what a splendid treat it has become for us! The sweetness of the pepper offsets the hardier flavors that are intertwined with the chicken or beef.
Tonight I cooked up steak and then sauteed mushrooms and these peppers for our side dish-yummy!
Manic Monday
HOME
I was a total bum this weekend and now need to get back into the game. I hate when I do that… I think it was the whole snow/ice issue and not being able to attend Mass.
PROJECTS
I ordered jars for my homemade lotion project and I am probably going to make the homemade body wash this week if /when I pick up some glycerin.
I think our fence might be replaced within the next two weeks- which will be nice.
That’s about it for now.. this should be a quiet week for Hubby and I. Things will take a change the following week as I head into training and over time.
What is going on in your world?
I was a total bum this weekend and now need to get back into the game. I hate when I do that… I think it was the whole snow/ice issue and not being able to attend Mass.
PROJECTS
I ordered jars for my homemade lotion project and I am probably going to make the homemade body wash this week if /when I pick up some glycerin.
I think our fence might be replaced within the next two weeks- which will be nice.
That’s about it for now.. this should be a quiet week for Hubby and I. Things will take a change the following week as I head into training and over time.
What is going on in your world?
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