Refrigerator

Well it came time to do one of my most hated chores...cleaning the refrigerator. I won't lie i had mystery bowls of stuff and things i couldn't believe that i saved. but, i do have some helpful hints when it come to such an important appliance.

The best thing to clean your fridge with is good old dish soap. i know it is temping to use bleach, or kitchen cleaner but the fumes don't leave well and get into your food. If you need sometime scrubbed. use baking soda and make it into a paste and it works awesome for getting out the mystery sticky goop. If you have really bad stains i do recommend a cleaner called (barkeepers friend) In your rinse water use white vinegar. it not only helps it dry faster but it will also help keep mold out of your fridge. Replace your baking soda often to keep smells out of there... Nothing worse then fish or onion tasting butter or milk (YUCK). make sure you use a tea towel to dry your work, you don't want a lot of moisture in your fridge.

Ok. here is the best tip i ever received and i want to share it. Tired of knocking over bottles when you are looking for the ketchup that someone put in the back. I put everything on a lazy susan. you can get them at any store for cheap and you just spin to what you need. another good thing is that it doesn't take up to much space. i have another underneath this one for jams and peanut butter (i make a lot of PB&J sandwiches) I also purchased a coated wire basket to keep apples and fruit in the fridge. easy to grab, a must in our household my boys eat about 2 apples each a day.

I have a stubborn husband i didn't use to store chips and things on top of the fridge. But, after much asking i broke down and started putting things up there. I purchased a simple metal basket for the kitchen and put chips in so they won't fall behind. The wicker basket if full of snack item for the children. much easier to grab out of there in keep boxes in my cabinets.

Always keep a shopping list by your fridge. when you are cooking and you need stuff jot it down. Nothing worse then going to a store, getting a brain fart and not remembering what you went in for. found this magnetic one at Michael's for $1 and it came with a pen.

Make your own magnets. i made the picture frames of the animals from a Martha Stewart kit that was on the clearance isle for $1. The fruit magnets i made from 3d paper cutout stickers from the scrapbook isle. i mounted them on a thin cardboard and attached a magnet. tada!

These are just some of the things i have done and some of my tip. i hope i have given you ideas to help you next time you tackle cleaning the fridge.

Bittersweet

Earth day is a special day for me for another reason. I got to bring my oldest son Collin home from the NICU on this day.

When you are pregnant there are some many questions, fear, and excitement about the whole thing. You plan the best you can. You decide on decor, what kind of diapers, breastfeeding, care, and birth plan. Well even the most well laid out plans rarely go as planned. I have planned to have Collin natural birth with no drugs. Well life had other plans. 5 weeks before i was due i went to the hospital for a routine stress test. Well after they did my test and checked my urine they realized that something was terribly wrong. I had preclamsia BAD!!! and it was making Collin weak. They admitted me right then and there and starting putting me on magnesium. That stuff if so bad it makes you feel like you have a fever and you blood is boiling. They kept me overnight only to find that things where worse. Collin's health was still declining and i was getting so bad i was about an hour away from total kidney failure.

I was rushed right to Columbia b/c Moberly hospital didn't have the equipment needed to deal with me and a 5 week early baby. Got to Columbia and they stabilized me. It was a good thing b/c my Aunt Denise was my nurse. Then they decided to give me potosin to start my labor to get Collin out. After 6 hours and no progress they decided on c-section.

All that was a total blur to me. I remember being prepped i was so out of it i didn't remember much. After they got Collin out i got to see him for 10 seconds. i got a side glace at him. I couldn't touch him they had me pinned to the table like i was on a cross and i was strapped down.

He was rushed away and i had to sit in silence as they stitched me up. It was horrifying not knowing what is going on and how your baby is. I was put into a recovery room until the feeling came back to lower half.

I wasn't able to see Collin for the whole first day. Zach took this picture for me so i could see what he looked like.

He was so tiny he only weighed 4lbs and 8oz and was 17 inch long. He was having trouble breathing and his temp would not hold.

I finally got to see him late the day after he was born. I had to stand up and walk as my reward i got to see my son. I went into the NICU and i could barely see him from all the wires, tube, and machines they had on him. It made me so sad and so happy at the same time. i got to touch him through the port holes but was not allowed to hold him yet.

The next day they told me to come down and try to feed him. I wanted to breastfeed. I finally got to hold him. But, he was so small he didn't have the strength to breastfeed. so i had to pump and put it into his feeding tube. After a week in the hospital i was released but Collin had to stay. I have never in my life cried as much as i did that day. I cried all the way home. I hated to sit and home and wait for Zach to get off work to do a 35 mile drive just to see my baby for a couple hours. Then i had the grueling task of leaving. I cried every time in the car ride home.

Each day he was getting better. i could feed him on the breast a little, he got rid of the feeding tube, had all the IVs taken out, each day something was a step in the right direction. I had to fight with the DR. a bit. both Zach and I have low body temp so he got released to a more open crib after that.

Finally we got the call....Collin can come home. He had been in the NICU 10 days. To this day i don't think any other news has made me happier! So that is why earth day is so special to me. It was the end to one of the most grueling emotional times i have ever had.

So i hear people making birth plans about home birth and whatnot. I can honestly say i am so so so glad i didn't do it. I actually encourage people not to rely on midwifes or homebirth in case of unforseen complications. It is scary to feel fine and not relize your body is rejecting to carring your baby. If i hadn't Collin and I would not be here, i feel so blessed for the people that saved us.

Earth Day

Earth Day reminds me of a little fable about a hummingbird.

In a large quite forest a wildfire broke out. The fire quickly turned into an inferno. The forest creatures where frozen in fear by the size and pure destruction of the fire, that is except a lone hummingbird. She quickly darted off to the nearest stream and got her bill full of water and zipped to the heart of the fire and put her mouthful (which is a few drops) on the fire. The other animals watched her in amazement. On her third trip some of the forest animals stopped her, "Why are you doing this, you can't fight this. Why even try?"
The humming bird answered coolly,"I know. but, i don't care how big the fire seems. I will do all i can to save my home."

That is how people should look at the world. Yeah there is an easy route and a tough way. More often then not in our busy lives we take the easy way. Even a small change can make a huge difference. Think of it as a butterfly effect. Did you know just the simple act of turning off the water as you brush your teeth saves the average of 5 gallons a day. After a year you have saved enough water to supply the whole city of New York's water demand for a day.

So this earth day i am not telling you to make major changes just simple ones. Cut off a lights when you leave a room, carry cloth bags to shop, pick up more organic local grown food, use environmentally friendly cleaner, use a stainless steel drinking bottle instead of bottle water, pack a lunch, recycle more, and so on. Just one of these simple things help. So make every day an Earth Day and find out actually how easy it is to live a better life.

Some people have asked why i am so passionate for living "green". I tell them this. When my Children are older and the world's problems are getting bad. They are going to ask me what i did to help. I am going to say,"I did everything in my power to help and make sure you where healthy." Will you be able to look in your children's eyes and say the same thing?

Dandelions

Dandelions!! oh, how i loathe thee! When i was i child i used to love to make chains of these flowers and blow the seed head. but, now that i am older they are my arch enemy. It's a good things i know a way to get rid of them quick that is environmentally friendly.

Take straight white vinegar and put in a spray bottle. spray right at the base. It will turn brown within an hour. this also works other weeds also. I have not tested it around flower that you want to keep. But i do know it will kill all the pesky weeds that are in your sidewalk cracks. So please use this method instead of harmful chemicals. It is wonderful if you have pets and children you don't have to worry about chemicals.

Roses!!!

I haven't written in a while. Things are starting to grow and bloom around my home and that requires maintenance.

My home is a rough stucco, just think concrete with rock shale added. Over 3/4 of my home is covered in Japanese ivy. When we bought our house 5 years ago it was very over run. I have been working hard to make nice flowerbeds and maintain the ivy. It takes me almost 2 weeks to get everything under control.

This year i have decided that things are mostly controlled enough that i can start adding the plants i want. I had already set 6 roses, 20 hosta, a clematis, bleeding heart, and a peony. I have around 5 beds and i have been feverishly cutting grass and mulching to keep weeds out this year.

My veggie garden is turning out not to be a good veggie garden at all. It has to much shade and stays to wet. I have talked with my husband, we have decided to turn that into a large flower garden. YIPPEE!!! now i have been dreaming of gardens. It's a small little thing but i will set a small sitting area and have it draped with wisteria, climbing roses, and clematis. In the beds i will have a mixture of flower and herbs. This is so much fun. It will take a couple of years to complete. Not due to ideasor enthusiasm, due only to funds. i will keep everyone posted.

I might not be on to much during the early summer months. you can bet i am playing the in garden.

Packing a Lunch

After my son's 6Th birthday the whole family will be switching for a gluten free lifestyle. I want to try this for at least 90 days to see if it will help Collin. There are neurological connections to wheat allergy. Hopefully this might help, if it doesn't then we will know to go in a different direction. We are hoping it will help his speech, irritability, hyper activeness, and help him focus. His teachers have been really good with him but i know he can be a trial. i just want to help him lead a normal life as possible.

I myself have been Gluten free for almost 5 days. It is not bad at all. I have found when comparing notes with Mom we don't have that nagging hunger feeling. Plus my pants are fitting better around the upper part of my stomach. I have also noticed that my facial ticks don't seem to last long, i went a whole day without a tick yesterday!! That was about only the 3rd time in almost 2-1/2 years. So that right there is better and i haven't even been doing it for a week. Even if this doesn't help Collin i will continue to stay on it for myself.

To prepare for my whole house switching over. I am going to have to start packing Collin's Lunch and providing a special snacks for his snack time. Things have changed so much from when we where kids. There are so many options for Lunches now days. But i have found the product that I ADORE!!! They are called Snack taxis http://www.snacktaxi.com/ They are fabric re-usable lunch sacks to put your food in. they have a lining in them that is washable. you just rinse and let air dry. They come in so many great designs. The ones in the picture are my personal ones with my favorite fabric pattern (Micheal miller. 50's kitchen) If you are looking to save money and be stylish this is the way to go. I was also bargain hunting in Wal-mart. I found stainless steel drinking insulated Thermoses for 3 dollars each. How cool is that. they are usually 12-15 dollars.

I will keep everyone posted on our progress and see if things are changing.

Gluten Free

GLUTEN FREE DIET!!!! these words strike fear in the heart of the person who loves bread or any kind of wheat product.

My Mom had these words told to her this week. She has just found out she has Celiac disease. If you have Celiac disease, Gluten destroys the lining of your small intestine. The body makes up for this by making bacteria to try to fight it. So instead of working on Good bacteria your body needs, it floods the system with the bad kind. This has a laundry list of things that happen to a body. If your diet it managed your body can regulate itself and stop depleting the body of calcium store, control weight, and have better immune health overall.

So I have decided to go Gluten free also. I want to help my Mom, she has it much rougher then me because she is also Diabetic. So, hopefully we can find great recipes that balance both of these factors.

Now the research! OMG so many things contain Gluten it is almost scary. Come to find out 80-90% off all American food includes wheat products. But, since Mom and I have gone to a lot of Organic cooking it helps b/c we know what is added to our food. There will have to be a lot of adjusting. Yeo women are a creative bunch so we will have ideas on how to sub things in no time. Already we have found some great products. Betty Crocker has a line of Gluten free products. That helps because i don't care who you are at some time or another you have a sweet tooth.

Here is to starting a new chapter. I myself don't know if i have this I just want to be a support for my Mom. It is hard when you eat different then everyone else. We know this to well....try keeping a Kosher diet in today's world. Been doing that for 30 years! Here's to a Kosher Gluten free Organic diet. We will miss our breads (for me especially rye). The health will outweigh the cost!

If you have any gluten free recipes or if you are interested just drop me a line.

Clothes line

AHHHHH!!!! is there nothing like the smell of towels and sheets that where hung on the line. Reminds me of days with MawMaw hanging out laundry. Learning the proper way to hang shirts so you didn't have funky creases and how to put clothes together to conserve pins. The way the clothes feel and smell as they have hung in the warm sun and flapped in the breeze all day. The stiffness of jeans and the so soft cotton shirts. Brings in a loaded basket and it was truly captured sunshine.

For the longest time growing up we didn't have a dryer and there was no choice you had to hang them out. Even after we got a dryer, clothes on the line was still preferred and didn't take long at all to do. I am so glad of this. So many people now days don't know the joy of Hanging out your clothes. If you have dryer and have space, by all means put one up, even if it's a tiny thing.
Not only will you save energy you get the benefit of great smelling and fresh clothes.

That was one of the many selling points of my home. We have a HUGE clothes line for in town. It can fit up to 6 large loads of clothes at a time. We are going to restring it soon. the wires are a little saggy from years of use, but it will be better then ever soon. I just think it's wonderful that all the old things are coming back in style again. I don't feel like such a hippie (but i have always loved being one)

Jell-o Mold

Ah yeah the tried and true Jell-o mold. I happen to love Jell-o it's amazing stuff. What else can you think of be molded, whipped, drank, froze, and anything else you want to achieve. i will share my own recipe for a Jell-o mold that i made for Easter Dinner.

I decided to make a mold that had a tropical flair. Yellow layer is island pineapple, white layer is pina colada , orange is apricot, white again, and red is island fruit.

you can make this salad any flavor you want, this is what i happened to make.

the regular Jell-o layers are a full box of Jell-o deluded half strength. I use just enough water to dissolve the sugars. then use cold water to bring it to a cup.

White layer:

1-8oz tub Greek yogurt or sour cream

1-box cream cheese

1 6oz can pineapple juice

1 box Knox unflavored gelatin

1 tsp coconut flavoring

1/2 tsp Vanilla

salt to taste

1/2 c sugar.

Whip all ingredients together. take out 1/3rd of the batch when ready to layer the mold. use just enough hot water to dissolve 1& 1/2 packets of Knox. whip into bowl and layer. When it come time for the 2nd white layer add 2& 1/2 packets of Knox to the remainder.

Let each layer set well before moving to the next layer. it doesn't take to long and has a really fun wow factor!

If you don't want the pina colada flavor you can leave out the pineapple juice and coconut flavoring. just whip in a tub of cool whip and any flavor you wish.

Just play with it and have fun. great for 4th of July or a baby shower instead of cake.

Happy Easter and egg tips

Easter is here again. Hope everyone has wonderful time connecting with friends and family. Easter has always been one of my favorite holidays. I love the traditions and celebrating Christ's resurrection. It truly is the most wonderful time of year when everything is starting new again. Don't forget to get out and marvel at all of the spring wonders and be thankful for all the God has given us.

Here are some of my tips for after Easter:

if you are like most families you dyed some eggs or had eggs in your Easter dinner. There are something you can do with the egg shells and cartons that will help all year long.

Buy eggs in a paper carton. you can use the cartons as seed starters. when seeds are established you can tear them apart and plant them paper and all. Kids love to watch seeds grow so have them pick out seeds they want and have them help you.

Egg shells are wonderful for your plants. Dry out your egg shells for a couple of days (you can use dyed shells). crush and grind them. Add them to your potting soil or sprinkle around shrubs and plants in your yard.