Sunday, February 19, 2012

Day 47, 48, 49, 50.....eeeeeek!

Source: bing.com via Kate on Pinterest


So I have been extra busy doing lots of fun stuff.....well not really, just house stuff, since hubby has been working so much lately, I'm doing all the house stuff like laundry, cooking, etc. Dang, that stuff takes up an awful lot of time. So I've been not as good about meal planning.

Today I did make slow cooker chicken marsala though. Yum.  And it will stretch for a couple of days.  I will be going to the grocery story tomorrow to pick up a couple of things but otherwise, we have decent food in the house.  Just need some salad and veggie type things.  Found this yummy idea for a salad....




Sounds perfect for a lunch or lite dinner.  And then I also found this brilliant idea.....




and...





So many great ideas for quick and healthy meals....I'm still amazed that I actually enjoy cooking....

And as always, with spring coming, I am itching to make improvements around the house...kinda likin' vinyl wall lettering....waiting to find just the right saying to put above our bed...










and just for fun....




So on with the plans....  :o)

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Thanks for stopping by!
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Thursday, February 16, 2012

Day 46 and some tips on healthy eating habits...

Source: sheknows.com via Kate on Pinterest


Let's be honest, we all have some clue as to what is healthy eating and what is not....


Source: sheknows.com via Kate on Pinterest


But that doesn't make it any easier to make good food choices all the time.  And you really don't have to be good ALL the time either. That just sets you up for failure in your quest to be healthy.  We all have different challenges when it comes to trying to eat healthy and lead a healthy life style.  While most people are stress eaters, I cannot eat anything when I'm stressed. Believe me, that is not a good thing.  There are a few simple tricks to 'outsmarting' yourself when it comes to bad food habits.

1.  Rearrange your cabinets. No, really. It works. If you rearrange where all the snack food is, when you mindlessly reach for the potato chips, you'll find canned beans instead. Seems silly, and really it is simple enough to work.  The best thing would be to not have junk food in the house at all, but that's not always very realistic.




2.  Find ways to 'healthify' your favorite meals.  Use less fat, less salt, less junk.  I just had Italian sausage and peppers for dinner. It was chicken Italian sausage with very little fat but full of great flavor.  Add the peppers and a wheat bun that has more fiber than sugar and it is a 'healthified' meal.




3.  Find ways to add movement into your every day routine.  Sounds like a broken record, but little things like parking further out from the store so you can walk more, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator.  It may feel like you're not really doing anything but it does add up.  The best thing would be if you could spend a good half hour every day being active, be that a walk or even jumping jacks, or dance around the house to your favorite music.  Every little bit helps.




It takes a while to form a new habit, so above all be patient with yourself.  We all formed our bad eating habits over a lifetime, and it will take some time to form new ones.  I'd like to get into the habit of having tons of energy to do fun things like hike and bike and run with the doggies.




And more vacation planning.....







SIGH....

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Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Day 45.........I think I broke my finger.... :-(

Source: etc.usf.edu via Kate on Pinterest


So somehow I managed to damage my right index finger. :o(   So I'm really all about comfort this evening. It is cold and raining outside, so how about a cup of hot chocolate?




And depending who you talk to, chocolate is ALMOST a health food!

So I would like to curl up and get cozy and not do anything that requires using that particular finger. OUCH!




or....




or follow my dogs' lead...

jazi cozy

kodi cozy

I am also making chicken Italian sausage and peppers and onions for lunch tomorrow. Yum.




So off to bed I go.....

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Monday, February 13, 2012

Day 43 and 44....and mac and cheese



So....yesterday I made the French Country Beef Stew and wow is it good! I made noodles for my hubby to eat with it and I packed some stew for lunch today.  I steamed a bunch of broccoli florets and took a small container of stew.  For lunch I had the broccoli with the stew over it, kinda like beef and broccoli but with mushrooms too.   The sauce turned out yummy with all the herbs and spices. I tend to use low or no salt ingredients so I up the other flavors.  I used salt and fat free beef stock and a little marsala wine.  I blend the veggies at the end so it becomes a heavier gravy without adding any other stuff to it. And this evening I gave into my craving for having mac and cheese, but it is organic whole grain mac and cheese.  So I had a little beef stew with my small bowl of mac and cheese. Sigh.




There are places in our country where you can actually see the Milky Way in the sky.  The first time we were in the Badlands in South Dakota, we were lucky enough to have a very clear night.  We drove a little way from our cabin to see the stars with no lights around.  I have seen amazing amounts of stars, but that night, the sky was alive with them.  It was absolutely amazing and not something my little camera could capture, so I found a few shots some brilliant people have taken.  WOW.





Source: flickr.com via Kate on Pinterest





I tend to feel very small in the universe under skies like that. You are no less important than any one of those stars, but you are a heck of a lot smaller.  And if I am planning a summer vacation and we are going somewhere away from big cities, I try to plan on being there during the Perseid meteor showers in August.







Hope you have the time to stay up and watch them next August. 

P.S. That carpet stain removal trick I found on Pinterest the other day......it WORKS! Really well.

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Saturday, February 11, 2012

Day 42 and the menu for the week......



French Country Beef Stew

I have managed to grocery shop with a list and have recipes for all the food I will be cooking this week. Phew. It takes some work, but it will save me time during the week when I won't have to think about what to make for dinner every night when I get home.  I am actually getting better at cooking and planning meals.  Who woulda thunk!?  I've spent very little time in the kitchen in my lifetime so far.  My grandma cooked for us and then my mom cooked for us and then I got married and my hubs cooked for us....see the pattern? So now that hubs is working different hours, I'm left to my own devices in the kitchen. And I'm stepping up to the challenge, although I'm trying to find the easiest ways to make things, using my crockpot as much as I can. So the other recipes for this week will be..




Rich Chicken Stew

and....




Slow cooker chicken marsala

And just for fun.....some fantasy bedrooms...










Off to bed, I have a LOT of cooking to do tomorrow. :o)

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Friday, February 10, 2012

Day 41 and what I learned on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Kate on Pinterest


So I was very good with the diet thingie today....eggs for breakfast, leftover turkey meatloaf for lunch and a peanut butter and jelly on high fiber whole grain bread for dinner with a glass of skim milk.  Now before you jump to conclusions, ;o), it took me over two hours to get home from work this evening so I DID NOT FEEL like cooking anything.  I popped in a load of towels since we are out of clean ones and will need to shower tomorrow morning, and cleaned up my dinner plate and lunch containers so the kitchen is clean. (Thank you Flylady!)  So basically we are ready for the day tomorrow. :o)

So here are some of the exceedingly clever and just plain fun things I found on Pinterest today.


Source: flickr.com via Kate on Pinterest


Pearls always go with everything.




Brilliant! I REALLY needed this! Don't ask.....




I've been looking to do something different with the flour, sugar etc, and clear canisters, and this is an AWESOME idea!  :o)


Source: instagr.am via Kate on Pinterest


Words of wisdom.

International Wolf Center, Ely MN

International Wolf Center Ely, MN  Can't wait to visit again!

BG

One of my favorite places on the planet....Ely, MN.

BGb

And one of my favorite ways to travel....

Have a great weekend!

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