Just Another Blog by Just Another Gal

The "Blasted Corner"...My Kitchen Design Challenge

2011-08-16T04:59:00.000-07:00

I know everyone one has an area in their home that challenges them and their creative juices. An area that you arrange, design and re-do. Well, I have a few of them but the one that needs the most attention is that blasted corner in my kitchen. My husband and I have drawn up plans for a built in pantry, cabinets, etc. Two years later we still haven't made up our mind. Or maybe I should say "I" haven't made up my mind.

Well, the other day I received a FREE metal, baker's rack from my dear sweet mom. So below are my before and after pictures of my temporary, cost free "blasted-corner-makeover".

Evan's face pictured below depicts how I felt each time I glanced at the corner!

It's A Wrap!

2011-08-06T17:48:00.001-07:00

It's seems as if my trip to California was done as quick as you can say, "It's a Wrap"! The whole experience blew by, but I brought home some real special memories and a few life lessons.

I won't bore you with every detail of my short lived trip to Cali. Quite honestly it's a bit surreal and I have yet to process that the trip even happened at all!! The highlights were definitely meeting new people - especially Teri E. (who I later learned in the first evening is also a believer), visiting Newport Beach and observing the active morning life of surfers, and experiencing the behind the scenes that happens for a commercial shoot.

Did I really walk up and down Newport Beach just yesterday? The charm of the homes decorating the beachfront gave lot's for my eyes to feast upon, while I was impressed with the variety of people that ventured out early in the morning to surf...bearded men, tanned-leathery ladies and of course the youthful adventurers. It was difficult to pull away, but I had to get back to the hotel to prepare for my scheduled set time.

Once at the studio, things moved fast. Try this dress on. Now try this top. Outfit gets approved and you are in the hair and makeup chair. Then the director comes in and give you a few ground rules and you are up. I am getting nervous all over again just writing about it. It's warm on set, which in this case was ALL green. Lights were everywhere and of course there was the camera! Then it was up to the director to ask the questions and my job was to respond with clear, enthusiastic tidbits on why I like Vitacoast. Mom-brain definitely kicked in more times than I'd like to really admit, but I had a blast telling the camera my thoughts on Vitacost.

We are supposed to receive the finished product on dvd through the mail. I look forward to seeing if I made the cut! Now I am home and back to the real world. Here are a couple of before and after shots. Thanks for reading!!

My Latest Discount Store Food Finds

2011-08-02T06:37:00.000-07:00

My Discount Store Finds:

Big Lots is definitely a hit or miss store. It's also not conveniently located to my usual haunts, so I rarely like to risk the time and gas. BUT, if I happen to be going by one I make it a point to stop. You just never know. Yesterday was a day of good finds!

With school starting next week I wanted to have some healthier cereals and snacks to aid with easing us back into the routine of getting out the door early again with that sack lunch.

I love using chicken broth in rice, bean dishes, cream sauces etc. Someday I may start making my own. Until then I need to shop the deals.

Unsweetened cereals make great fillers to mix in with the the sweeter options.

Motts Fruit Snacks are still processed but they are without HFCS and dyes. A compromise between the boys and I.

I like to have flavored waters for a treat sometimes. Anything other than coffee and milk is considered a splurge.

The Oats? I know, I have 50 pounds of steel cut oats stored but there are times when I oversleep. Here is my backup plan.

Mac-n-cheese. No explanation necessary. :)

Well that's it. So do you have any discount store haunts?

Off to California...Seriously??

2011-07-31T12:34:00.000-07:00

You ever get those emails from various companies or see those invites on the side of your Facebook page to enter in a contest or something? Ever try for it? Usually, I just ignore it and go about my computer business.

Well, I received an email from a company requesting a short bio, from their customers, stating why you liked their company and a recent photo. If they liked it, you could be selected to be on their next television ad. Since, I could easily come up with a few statements sharing why I was a fan and already had a photo on hand, I decided to go for it.

A week later I received a call from the company's ad agency. They had a few more questions to ask and then requested a one minute video testimonial. EEEW. That required a little more effort, but I was in it this far so why not? The nice lady informed me that she would not be able to call all who entered so if I wasn't selected, they would just send an email.

I ended up spending an hour videoing and re-videoing myself stating what I liked about their company. Finally gave up and saved it for the next day. The twins were with me in the background, but it was now or never. "Send".

A few more days passed and I received another call with that same area code. A call? My palms began to sweat. A gentlemen informed me that I had been one of the ten selected. They would be flying me out August 4th to California for a video shoot to give a testimonial for Vitacost.com! I hadn't considered this really happening so it was pretty exciting for this gal who hasn't been any further west (in the States) than Tennessee.

They will do hair and makeup. I just had to provide wardrobe. You can bet that I have been going through my closet looking for what they called "casual, but stylish".

Well, I'm off to California by myself to be delivered to folks I've never met. I'll have to be adventurous if I want to leave the hotel to explore the surrounding area. Yup, this intimidates me.

I'll keep you updated...and if I want to embarrass myself more I will attach the entry video I sent in. :)

Recipe for Eggplant Pizzas

2011-07-26T11:47:00.001-07:00

Why do I get in these cooking ruts where I find myself alternating the same go to foods from week to week? Spaghetti, tacos, hamburgers are some of the guilty few. I love to read through recipe books but am very unmotivated to try any of them. Last week I surprised myself by cooking some tuna steaks we had in the freezer, given to us by a neighbor from his last catch. Perhaps this emboldened me some more so I upgraded my tacos to enchiladas - wohoo!

On Sunday a friend gave me a couple of eggplants from her garden. To save a little time I decided to do eggplant pizzas instead of eggplant parmesan. I googled for some tips and of course this was already thought of so I used that recipe and just changed a thing or two here and there. In case you have been looking for something to do with eggplant, I thought I'd share what I used.

Eggplant Pizzas

1 medium egg plant

1 cup of ground wheat flour

salt to taste

pepper to taste

dried basil to taste

1 egg, beaten

leftover spaghetti sauce

provolone cheese

olive oil

Slice eggplant in 1/2 round slices. Preheat oven to 350. Mix all your dry ingredients in a ziploc bag or bowl. Dip eggplant rounds into beaten egg and then coat with flour. Brown each side for a couple minutes in olive oil on the stove. Slather on red sauce and add cheese. If you want to put any additional veggie toppings be sure to sautee them first. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes until cheese is melted and golden brown.

I really enjoyed these and ate the leftovers for lunch the next day - still good!

Ashamed to Confess: If Intimidated I May Not Try It...Today's Adventure Into My Unknown - Free Wi-fi at a Public Place

2011-07-20T11:25:00.000-07:00

So, how many folks are even remotely similar to me in the sense that if you aren't completely sure about how to do something, you find it intimidating? Today I thought I would venture out with my notebook in hand and go "wi-fi it" somewhere in an attempt to get myself organized. I know, most normal, up-to-date folks have already had this experience, but I wasn't completely sure about all the particulars and therefore have never tried. Here is my day adventure and attempts at technology growth.

First stop: Starbucks across from the mall to meet hubby for a quick date over a cup of coffee. Wi-fi available, but too many folks unless I wanted to go hang out in the dark corner next to the bathrooms. No thanks.

Next up...the mall. To give myself a good start I go directly to guest services to find out what I would have to do to play on my computey. My great start went down from there. How distracting the mall can be! Store after store has summer sales going on that I could not help but be lured in to stop and check them out - notebook bag, purse and all weighing down my shoulder. By now hunger pangs are coming on.

Now what to eat that's healthy? I find myself walking to my same old mall haunt, Chic-fil-A and order a grilled chicken sandwhich to go. Now I have my purse, notebook and sandwhich to go. Where shall I go? Looking around there are alot of folks hanging out and I couldn't see myself breaking out all my stuff in that crazy food court. All the Starbucks tables are full and the curling iron/straightner dude is bugging me to try that amazing product at a ridiculously cheap price that I can only get today. Sigh. My shoulders were starting to hurt.

Finally, my steps are taking me to my van. Failure. This trip was a ridiculous failure! I am driving in my van feeling like a big technology dork when I remember Atlanta Bread Company. Drat! I already have a chicken sandwhich. How about a salad though? Back on the road...

I order my salad and find the perfect spot to hunker down, boot up my notebook and am ready to go. Wait! Password? Oh boy, do I really have to go walk up there and ask for the password? No, I am not shaming myself anymore. My salad is delivered and I ask the gentleman for the password. It's on the receipt! Of course, why didn't I know that already?? I'm in!! Click on the agreement and we are good to go.

It's glorious. How much I have grown! Is there anything I can't accomplish now?? Wait, what is this? Why can't blogger save my blog? I have been BOOTED off the internet. Fifteen to twenty minutes pass before I am able to resume my internet surfing. Really? Now it's time to get back to my children who I have farmed out all over town.

Well, I am still going to call this day a successful learning experience. Intimidated no more. What else can I venture to do that haven't tried just because I don't know how? Anyone else have small or large ventures they haven't tried b/c you were intimidated?

My Trip to the Dominican Republic: Proof that God uses the willing.

2011-07-05T12:11:00.000-07:00

It’s always difficult to sum up a week full of surprises, visual evidences of God’s faithfulness and the mountain top experience that often comes with setting a week aside in life to focus solely on sharing the Good News of Jesus to others. I can no way begin to express all that I saw and learned, but this is my attempt.

One of our largest hurdles as the team that would be working in the villages was planning what we were actually going to do. We wanted to be faithful with the time and resources it was going to take to be there. As the our departure date came closer we realized that there was only so much we could do. The rest would have to be left in God’s capable hands. We prayed for God to work in ways that we would KNOW it was Him.

It should have been expected, but I was amazed by the way things came together. We were able to put a puppet show together for the children that went along with each message-filled craft! That puppet show must have been performed at least ten times that week at various villages. The songs we tentatively brought were sung in church, for kids and even at a nursing home. A devotional plan was left for one young man who expressed interest in learning more about the Bible. Christ was shared in a variety of ways. I felt so much joy at using the Spanish I had learned in Honduras to express love and interest in the lives of the Dominicans I met. It was almost as if I hadn't left Honduras.

I saw 6 young men give their lives to Christ at one of the baseball games that our team played. One of the gentlemen on our village team led 10 men to Christ at the medical clinic and we shared with many more. I will continue to pray for those who said they were not ready or willing, just as I pray for those I know here who say the same. One more amazing event: one of my roommates accepted Christ on the trip and was baptized on our last evening there!

Thank for all your prayers for this trip. God answered each and every one far beyond my expectations. I look forward to the next opportunity to go...

What I Buy in BULK!

2011-05-14T13:52:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are curious. Since I have made the big step to making my own bread each week, I have begun learning the art of buying bulk. It started with the wheat berries of course, but has since grown in variety. My husband has been a big advocate for bulk shopping due to the course of the economy. He feels that it is good to be prepared.

So here is my ever growing list of supplies:

2 - 6 Gallon buckets of wheat berries

1 - bucket of brown rice

1 - bucket of steel cut oats

1 - bucket of rolled oats

1 - bucket of Sucanat sweetner

1 - bucket of organic black beans (our newest addition)

1 - bucket of Real Salt (sea salt & minerals)

Soon to be...5 gallons of local honey!

In addition to dry goods we have purchased a cow from a local farmer. We were able to get this beef, which is grass fed, for $3 a pound. Unfortunately, the next cow will be priced at $4 a pound due to rising costs. Next we will look into chicken!

I'm back!!

2010-03-14T18:41:00.001-07:00

It has been far too long since my last post, but I am back!! I can't wait to share with you all my new findings on natural and healthy living - on a budget of course!!

Since my last post I am now milling wheat and baking my own bread on a weekly basis and cloth diapering 2 ten month olds. Another new development for me is learning the art of buying in bulk. With four growing boys in our family (an one grown boy!), we are going to need it.

Soon I will be looking into making my own yogurt!

Lot's of fun. Ahhh, feel so good. :)

Let's talk about meat

2008-08-24T18:54:00.000-07:00

As you add changes to your dairy, bread and center ailse no-nos (foods containing HFCS, hydrogenated oils and dyes) have you considered the meat department?

Finding organic meat at the prices I like to pay can be more of a challenge at times, but it's still worth it. All of our local grocery stores have periodic sales on brands you can trust like, Coleman and Maverick, while Kroger and Publix also sell their own brands (Naturally Preferred and Greenwise). Both Ingles and Kroger mark down their meat between 1 to 5 days before expiration. You may be able to note in my photos that all of the meat I had purchased was reduced. I take what I can on those days and try not to be too greedy. Sometimes when we have it in the budget I do purchase meat at a decent, regular price to support the market.

Bentley's All Natural Meats & Produce is located on East May Street in Winder, GA. Their phone number is 678-963-9877. They now offer specials on bulk orders.

Something I would love to do, but have to work myself up to paying the bulk price would be ordering beef by the quarter. Stokes Farm is a local cattle farm (Lawrenceville/Dacula) that grows grass fed beef that is free of hormones and anitbiotics. Your order is sent to a butcher in Statham so it is already cut, packaged and frozen when you pick it up. Just be sure to have plenty of freezer space. One option to an investment like this is to find a family to share the order with. I sampled some of his beef at the Lawrenceville Market (downtown) one Saturday. After doing so I wanted to take some home with me right then! Pricing as of right now...

Approximately 100lbs of beef:

Deposit $250
Due at pickup: $250

Processing fee to Butcher: $52

Contact info: Stokes Farm
stokesfarm@bellsouth.net

If you are not quite ready for that type of venture try the Dekalb Farmer's Market. They have just about every kind of meat you can possibly desire. One of my favorites is the ground turkey, priced at $2.79 a pound. I use it for my spaghetti, chilli, tacos, meatloaf, casseroles and much more. I also love the bonless, skinless chicken thighs. Oh, and the turkey, breakfast sausage is tasty as well.

Good luck on your hunts! Remember, if your budget is tight try replacing just one meal a week with organic/natural meats. We try to go meatless one night of the week as well. On one occaision I ran out of time to put meat in the spaghetti sauce. Truly, no one missed it!

Hope you find this helpful. God bless and don't give up on your steps towards healthy living!

L'Thai Organic Restaurant

2008-08-16T13:27:00.000-07:00

One Friday night my husband and I ventured out to try L'Thai Organic Restaurant. Upon arriving, I was careful not to make an assumption too quickly, as the restaurant was in an ordinary parking lot in Tucker, GA. Inside the environment was small, but cozy and the staff was friendly. As we looked over the menu we read that they encourage you to take your time and enjoy the experience of eating out.

Like a child getting a run through at Toys-R-Us, I thoroughly inspected my menu with a giddy excitement. Did I mention that I love food, especially what I would consider "guilt free"? The menu boasted of a large variety of Thai dishes that were all organic...organic brown rice, grass fed, organic beef, chicken, organic coffee AND organic desserts! Even my husband began to get excited and tried to hurry me along. I reminded him that we were to be "relaxed" and "enjoying our meal".

We ordered hot jasmine green tea and coffee to start with an order of spring rolls to keep my husband happy. For the entree he ordered a grass fed beef dish that was mild. I chose the chicken gingerine and asked for a little kick. Note: Only ask for additional kick if you REALLY like it hot. My dish had great flavor, but I had to keep a tissue handy for my nose!

The dessert options were very tempting but we both agreed that we couldn't fit a bite more. Another pleasing aspect of this tasty, Thai cuisine was our bill. The total came to $37.00, which included the two drink orders and an appetizer; two luxuries that we typically choose not to indulge in.

If you enjoy Thai food and would like to peruse their menu as well, go to http://www.lethai.com/.

I look forward to our next date night. Maybe we will head out to Athens and check out the restaurant called Farm 255. At Farm 255 the menu consists of food from their farm (Full Moon Farms), which is organic, and neighboring farms/ranches.

Brief overview - Dairy

2008-08-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

I know we touched briefly on milk but that first blog was geared to those who were at a specific event. To be more organized I want to be sure to cover all my bases for those who may not be aware, so please bear with me if a line or two seems repetitive. Also, before I move on please take in account that I am not supporting a diet stocked full of dairy. In fact, we need more vegetables than we do dairy, but for the dairy we do consume...

At one time, we never thought twice about grabbing a gallon of milk, loading up yogurt and whatever else we needed. Now reports of hormones used to increase milk production, antibiotics to treat illnesses and cows that rarely, if ever, see the light of day are circulating everywhere. And what is in that grain that they eat? Weren't they meant to consume large quantities of grass as well?

If you are going to consume dairy, choose organic products whenever possible. Our options are ever increasing with companies such as Organic Valley, Horizon, Naturally Preferred (Kroger), Publix Greenwise, Stonyfield etc. Cutting back on dairy intake is also a price reducer and may help with health issues as well. My boys love cereal and that's generally their dairy intake for the day with the exception of maybe some cheese here and there.

It's amazing how as of right now we can purchase organic half & half, yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese, shredded cheese, block cheese, CREAM cheese, butter etc. right from our local grocery stores! As I have stated before, you can print out coupons on the Internet. Choose one or two of these options, print out a coupon and make a change. No getting overwhelmed. Maybe your budget is super tight. Then you can go for the least expensive choice for this month. For example, if you are a coffee drinker and are not addicted to flavored creamers (I was!!) then purchase the half & half. Ingles, Wal-Mart and Publix have it for a reasonable price.

Costco sells yogurt and milk at a fair price. They even sell a bulk package of organic chocolate milk that is a great for a treat in the kid's lunches. I say a "treat" because I rarely purchase this extravagance, but when I do it's a "Friday special".

Let me know of any changes that you make. We can share ideas, inform each other of sales, hidden coupon spots and my personal favorites - markdowns! :)

Proverbs 27:27

"You will have enough goats' [or cows'] milk to feed you and your family and to nourish your servant girls."

Shopping for Fruits & Veggies...

2008-08-05T18:07:00.000-07:00

Okay. Quick Review. What is organic?

By definition, organic means that foods are produced according to certain production standards, meaning they are grown without the use of conventional pesticides, artificial fertilizers, human waste (seriously, who would have thought this was something we would have to worry about??), or sewage sludge, and that they were processed without ionizing radiation or food additives. Livestock are reared without the routine use of antibiotics and without the use of growth hormones.

All in favor of eating fresh straberries picked from the sewage sludge field say, "I". Of course if you are going to a local farm, I highly doubt this would be a concern. Many of you may have taken some family outings to pick strawberries or blueberries. Great! Supporting local farmers is absolutely a great way to go. Others of you may grown your own. What can be better than this? I hope to start that next year. More on that in another blog.

Due to cost and availability we cannot always purchase organic. I carry the above card in my purse when I go shopping. You would think that by now I would have it memorized, but with everything else I need to keep track of (especially if the boys are with me) the list escapes me. So here they are:

Apples, Bell Peppers, Celery, Cherries, Imported Grapes, Nectarines, Lettuce, Peaches, Pears, Potatoes, Spinach, Strawberries

I am also adding green beans, cucumbers and BROWN RICE (that is a biggie) from other studies.

Make yourself an index card list and slip it into your purse. Do what you can and when you cannot...here is a Veggie Spray to use to clean fruits and veggies that are not organic.

1 cup of Water (filtered)

1 cup of white vinegar (ahh, the smell of vinegar)

1 T of Baking Soda

10 -20 drops of Grapefruit Seed Extract (can be purchased at any health food store/vitamin store)

Pour mixture into a spray bottle and spray down veggies. Allow them to sit for 5 to 10 minutes than rinse off. Viola! You can rest a little easier.

Much of the information in this blog has been obtained from:

Earthbound Organics

Publix Greenwise

Sophie Uliano, Gorgeously Green website

Personal Care

2008-08-02T10:01:00.000-07:00

So today in my research and work to find better alternatives in our toxic world, I find myself omitting off the pungent aroma of vinegar. Is there no limit to what I will try to be healthier?? I wondered this to myself as I applied vinegar to my underarms with a cotton ball in hopes of killing any traces of BO. Maybe I should try adding a few drops of essential oils to my vinegar concoction? So, does it work? I'll have to get back with you on that one as my researching and experimenting continue...

Moving on...my dear friends, I have to say that I thought this blog was going to be an easy one for me but I was sadly mistaken! First, thank you all for your encouragement to keep this blog going!! I am now more determined than ever to make healthier decisions and share my findings along the way.

Worried about the effects of sodium lauryl sulfates, propelyne gycol, parabens etc.? Me too. Before writing this blog I wanted to refresh my memory on what I have learned over the last 4 years. What I found is an OVER abundance of information and conflicting views. After a couple hours of reading, I have come to feel more concern about ingredients such as: DEA (Diethanolamine) and TEA (Triethanolmaine) than some of my original thoughts on the "evils" of the cosmetic realm.

Due to the amount of overwhelming information, I would like to share a great resource for quick and easy answers - http://www.safecosmetics.org/. Click on the "Skin Deep" report and you can enter ANY ingredient in their search engine. There you will find a 1 to 10 scale of risk, an ingredient definition, and much more. Very cool. No time to research right now? Here are a couple of respected companies and where they can be found:

Aubrey Organics: Vitamin Shoppe, Whole Foods, Internet (Amazon, Aubrey-Organics.com, etc.) AND even some of your neighborhood grocery stores

Burt's Bees: All of the above places in addition to Target, Wal-Mart is also getting in on the action.

FYI: At Amazon.com you can watch for Free "Super Saver Shipping". If a product is eligible you can receive free shipping on orders of $25 or more.

I want to write more but I have promised not to overwhelm. So in conclusion for today, remember to read labels!! If you are concerned and unsure, take a moment and find out it's origin. Our skin is a living organism. Let's be good to it!

Next Blog: The "DIRTY DOZEN" of Organics

Breads, Milk & Water

2008-07-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

Reading food labels has always been a known practice for some time now. However, shoppers are beginning to realize that it's not just calories, carbs and fat content that we have to watch out for. For a good rule of thumb it is best, when possible, to avoid the following three ingredients: High Fructose Corn Syrup, Hydrogenated Oils, and Dyes (Red #40, Blue #1 ect). This can be frustrating for most due to the fact that just about everything on the shelves these days has one or more of the above ingredients. For this reason I want to begin to encourage others to start small. Make one change at a time, maybe even one month at a time. This does not have to be difficult or overwhelming.

So let's start with bread, milk and water. There are several facts that I could give you to support why we should make these changes but I promised to keep this simple. If you would like the how and why, please let me know. I would not mind the extra study, as I tended to only file what I had to know.

BREAD:

You could make your own, using WHOLE wheat flours, bran, spelt etc. (After 4 years into my journey of healthy eating I have only made one loaf of bread.)
Shop at Whole Foods or the Dekalb Farmer's Market - niether place has the naughty ingredients in any of their breads
Ingles, Wal-Mart, Publix, Kroger has a couple of options. Ex. Nature's Own (made w/ organic flour), Kroger's Naturally Preferred, etc. Watch for the buy one get one free and freeze a couple of loaves!

Milk:

Organic is your ONLY option here. Organic milk is available at all grocery store locations. Take a moment to go to Stonyfield.com and Organic Valley.com to request and/or print out coupons. At Organic Valley's website they allow you print out new ones frequently.

Publix Greenwise Milk is okay and they put their milk on sale every so often. Pick up a Publix Greenwise magazine at the front of the store and subscribe. They will send you one each month for FREE and each issue has helpful info as well as coupons.

You could also look into Soy Milk. After some research I opted to go with cow's milk anyway, but that is something you could decide for yourself.

Water:

New Wave Enviro makes water filter products. Check out http://www.newwaveenviro.com/ for information and more details. I checked out Amazon.com and they had one for $77.oo. The filter only has to be replaced once a year, depending on family size. Each year I search different sites to compare prices and have found the replacements for as little as $65.oo.

Okay. That's all for today because my kids are bored. If this was at all helpful to you, please let me know. I would love to continue this, as I have lot's of ideas and hints, but don't wish to overload. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at rowdens4@bellsouth.net. Next blog will be on personal care for big and little people!!