More kitty fun

Been raining a lot, and the weather turned colder again, so not much is happening.
but  I have helpers to get through the day:

 Laundry help

 dishes help

just making a mess help.
Happy Friday!!!!!!!!!

One of our favorite real food meals ever!

Have you ever tried the Real Food Challenge? **
 In a step to eat healthier I took the real food challenge which has the best rules I have ever tried for changing the way I eat. Basically - in my words- For one week-you cook and eat using: No fast food. No convenience food. No boxes. Just cook. It really was not as hard as I thought. It was this challenge taken that inspired me to get the yogurt maker and start making my own homemade. Also the same challenge that inspired a canning set, and making apple butter!
The toughest step for me was, and has been, cereals in the morning for the kids, and sliced cheese for the sandwiches I send in lunches. But we are doing great!

Everyone voted here and the meal my family felt was their favorite during this week was:
Chicken breast sauteed in coconut oil with Garlic and pepper, served with a mix of vegies, and Au gratin Potatoes

 My Recipe for Au gratin Potatoes
6-8 potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly,
 layered into buttered (or cooking oil sprayed) baking pan 13x9x2.
heat oven to 400 F
then
in med sauce pan combine:
 1/2 c water
 1/2 cube real butter
1/2 cup homemade plain yogurt
1 brick cream cheese *8 oz
2 c milk
1-2 tbs parsley & chopped chives
 garlic salt
pepper
heat in sauce pan stirring constantly, over med heat until cream cheese completely melts,(does not have to boil)  immediately pour over potato slices . leave uncovered and bake on center rack 45 min.
Let cool 3-5 min before serving. 

Now, in this meal I wasn't perfect according to the rules of Real Food Challenge- I did use a frozen vegie mix and I easily could have replaced this with fresh broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, or whatever! But the challenge is realistic, and allows for goofs -which is what I love for this! The fact of the matter is you are allowed to use up what is still in the fridge- the main idea being you are making better choices, and eliminating the fake foods, preservatives and unnecessary junk food. Which we have done. And my family voted on this one meal as the best. So I am posting it- mistakes and all. In my defense I can say I used fresh frozen, not canned, and not frozen with tons of "butter sauce" or something else that is so frequently offered now a days. LOL
Anyway, I want to thank the people who designed this challenge and say it has changed the way I look at food! Awesome!!!!!

**Disclaimer
The Real Food Challenge is not mine, it belongs to Roxanne at: http://theholisticmama.com/real-food-challenge/ .
I simply participated in the challenge and am blogging my opinion and results there of. I take no responsibility for it, except in saying that it is the best challenge I have ever participated in in all my 44 years! And so grateful to the Holistic Mama for sharing it!!   (*** I have posted with her permission. And Have been notified by Roxanne that there will be another Real Food Challenge available to anyone who's interested in April! Go check it out!)

Homemade Yogurt YUMMMMMMMMMMMM!

I was a bit apprehensive- then I asked myself, why are you doing this? Isn't spending a couple of dollars at the store for the pre-made yogurt more convenient? The answer is yes, Simply, YES!...except, lately I haven't been happy with the store bought. Too much sugar. Too runny, and tooo little effect on my gut.  More and more, I am becoming aware of labels, and quality, and basic ingredients and WHY having the live bacteria in a yogurt culture viable is so important for gut health.
I'm not old, but I'm not in the best shape- I notice if things are not working! The more I learn about eating real food, and eliminating the preservatives, and the fake of fast convenience foods- the more I know this is better for me- better for my family, and fun! So I had my answer, and motivation to stop being lazy and give something new a try! Amazing! results! I am so happy with my first batch! I just know...This is going to be a hit!
I got a Euro Cuisine Yogurt Maker, and a Cultures for Health Traditional FlavorYogurt Starter to use. My initial cost is going to pay off in just 1 or 2 batches!
This first batch I used 2% milk, and I am impressed! I am going to bump it up next batch to whole milk. (I wish I had a goat- I have read goats milk is fantastic!) Any way from this one batch I can make up to 7 more! And I still have 7 more culture packets beyond that- we are looking at 49 batches before I need to re-buy cultures...

 I tilted one of the 7 jars to show you how thick it was- tilted, and  still didn't pour after I grabbed camera! 2 jars are a tiny bit thinner- so I poured them in a coffee filter to strain and the result comes out super thick! I am impressed! by the time I finish using just this first 7 batches I will almost have my money back in savings, no artificial ingredients, additives or preservatives- and viable probiotic cultures growing for everyone's gut health.... Took me a half hour yesterday morning to sterilize the jars and heat the milk, after that the yogurt maker does the rest- set it aside and wait 8-10 hours, cap the jars and put them in the fridge! Soooooo simple!
Add honey, add fruit. Add granola, oats, nuts, seeds- whatever! Be happy! Yay!!!!
I am having success. Hope this helps! :) Come summer I think this will be great for frozen yogurt bars! And the more I learn! The better it will be! There is a whole host of things plain yogurt is good for! Yayyyyy!!!  LOL :)

What I noticed Today...Tip Toe Friday

I am trying to learn to write everyday. ha! That would require consistency, and well, we shall see how that goes! LOL I rename one goal on my list to Write in journal daily. If I can actually do that until Ostara- I have certainly achieved a huge goal! :D

Yesterday, I meant to write. Yesterday (Thursday) was an emotional day and I ended up getting upset over a phone call with my mom, then ranting over it, mulling and muddling over it, then finally calling her and talking it out, and having a good night after all. So an emotional, but "determined to heal it" kind of day. Really. :D One thing I did do, however, was continue to knock out a section of weeds and took the shovel and outlined where I want the garden to grow. Just the outline. but it's a start- I had to be able to see something, my visualizations just were not in the groove without a start. LOL Good work out - shoveling is not easy! LOL and whew....

Today (Friday) I started off catching up with Tiptoe Chick (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnFrXJ-AoaU)  and she had posted a wonderful short synopsis about daily candle rituals and I loved it! I also loved her Friday explanation- a get ready for fun day- so I lit a candle and took her advice! Yay!! I declared it a pamper morning- which helped soooo much, because I was sore from shoveling yesterday! Ouch! And thankful for it- 'cause the day has been gorgeous ever since! Amongst the many things of regular errands I trimmed my hair. And then got a surprise by my son, who asked me to trim his hair and advice on taming his young beard. (Which he is determined to grow!) So, I indulged, and we joked and had fun! And I trimmed over 3" off! ;) Yay! He was happy- I was happy! Sweeet!

I headed out after finishing school-to my spot in the afternoon, the yard, to enjoy some outside for a while. Instead of grabbing the shovel, I sat on one of the many rocks lined up from the previous owner and stared at the mess I need to clean up and fix-seeing my outline helped though and I started envisioning where this might be going! It was peaceful and nice end to the day! I have a long way to go with this as you can see by the picture-  The hummingbirds said hello, and today the doves did as well! yay! Happy Friday! BB

New Year New Me

So What on earth am I talking about? Well, I had previously posted that it was time to "Do Over" back in November- feeling a definite and certain need for change in a positive direction.
 Then, as if in the great circle of things known as life, one of my beautiful and wonderful teachers whom I follow posted a New Year Challenge that spoke directly to me and fit so perfectly into what I was already feeling and experiencing that I could not ignore it any longer!
Dee, (aka TipToeChick on YouTube) is inspiring and very real. She has been a wonderful teacher and what I love about her most is her blatant honesty. She inspires me to be who I am. I never stop learning from her.
Her post: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pP8_fPob8AY&feature=player_embedded
Absolutely has motivated me to move, and do! Yay!!!!!!!
Excited!!!!!!! :D

My Goals before Ostara (March 21st)

My Goals to reach before Ostara (March 21) are:

1. To eat real foods, and lose weight.

2. To walk 30 minutes a day. No less.

3. To start a garden.

Love this! I can do this.  I can do this! Yay! :)

My Positive 3 Affirmations for 2013

My 3 positive affirmations

A New Year A New Me. Tip Toe has set out a challenge for the new year and I love it! So positive and I am ready. I am 2 weeks late in the start, but I really do not think that matters. What matters IS the start!

To write the 3 things that I know are real about myself:

1. I'm a very caring person. 

2. I'm a good mother and wife.

3. I'm a good teacher.

(It's certainly not as easy as it sounds! To write 3 good things about yourself, and allow none of the instant self doubts that pop up in your mind allow you to erase them....LOL... wow. There it is.) Whew!

Tuesday Tip toe-ing- journal- what I noticed this am

Things I have noticed today. :)
 If I tip toe outside in the early mornings right now, I about freeze my beeeeeehind off. Thermometer on back porch says 35f. Not as cold as when I lived in the mountains, but cold enough for me to say brrrr. But! Standing in the sun is delicious, and wonderful! Warmed my fingers right up- and smelled awesome fresh air! Crisp! But awesome all the same....

 Then I noticed the birds- mostly the little barn sparrows around here- but they were darting and talking up a storm. :D Yay!

Then I played with my camera- and had fun with the sun and the danglies on my front porch:

Then I walked to my side porch and noticed an old painting that never got hung up during the move. Alone and forgotten it said- so I decided it needed some sun too- if only for a bit:
Yay it said!

I won't leave it out, but I definitely need to find a spot for it now-
More painting this year! 2013 is my art year! Have fun!

Learning as I go... Homemade Body Lotion.

So, I could make a long story out of the why's and when's,  but the short of it is I had a bad reaction to some medicine this last year, and since then I have been researching natural alternatives, a greener lifestyle, making homemade household cleaning items, using less store bought brands, and saving a significant amount of money in the process!
I am still very new to this, and quite frankly I have to buy small until I learn how and get a stock built up. Money matters dictate these things. But today, I ventured my own homemade lotion. And ohhhhh, I am so happy with the result! Winter weather dries out my skin so bad I have to use something. Especially on my hands, and frankly- the more I learn about the chemicals in some of the products I used to buy the more I shy away from ever wasting the money again!
It is amazing the amount of websites and blogs that can be found on DIY home products and beauty products. I have seen so many I can't keep track anymore. What I have discovered is that some ingredients are common- through out, and some recipies, although typed in different fonts across the web and shown in many colors, are exactly the same. So, I started purchasing common supplies- sweet almond oil, grapeseed oil, coconut oil, shea butter, castile oil soaps, etc etc.  And today I ventured to make my own lotion (since I am now officially out of my Aveeno lotion).  If any of you have ever wondered, it is super easy to make- and sooo nice! I will not pretend to claim I came up with the how to's on my own. No No. But I will happily share where I found it! All natural, and ohhhhh so good on the skin!
Here's where I found it:   http://mymerrymessylife.com/2012/07/homemade-organic-lotion-a-recipe-free-printable.html
And here is what I made looks like- fluffy, smells awesome, and took away the alligator dry. Yay!

So, one of many baby steps in learning how to go green. I'd love to say 'accidentally green', but that's taken and an awesome title!- so I will leave it with "Janey's Natural adventures" and go from there...LOL :D