RAIN RAIN AND MORE RAIN !! TORNADO WARNING !!! IN SO CAL ? WO

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No Better Time Than Now !

 With all that is in the news , there is no better time than now to clean out your cabinets, pantries, closets, to get rid of excess. Nothing makes you feel better than to be active when you what to do more than just donate money . Start locally. This year decide to get rid of the clutter, keep only what matters, give away , donate, throw out or recycle, is always best ! WE have so much and there are still so many that need our help ! 
" 2010 I will be thin !" also means   "Less is More !" 
" 2010  I will not spend ! "  Another focus is to challenge myself to use what I have, to save 60 % and live on 40 %. 


I am very exciting to challenge myself this year more , instead of just wishes . If you don't have space for your own garden , try a small window or tabletop kitchen garden or even check with your local parks if they have a community garden you can join .  Growing more of  my own organic food this year , I am hoping not only to become healthier, no chemicals , help me save grocery money, de- stressing with more fresh air and exercise. 


What is clear is that it will take a coordinated effect to reduce and offset the in balances of our world and society. Although these changes are significant , simplification, will be the secret . 


That will be  another topic ; K.I.S.S. (Keep it simply stupid.)


Remember we all learned to walk , one step at a time . And with patience and practice , guess what , we did it !
And so it is .
Amen 

It Happened Again

After going through the Northridge earthquake ourselves in 1994 , I have a little glimpse of what it is like . For a split second you think you are going to die and then it's over. It was for about a year that I woke up everyday right at 4:31a.m. in the morning ... the same time the earthquake hit . But that can't compare to what they are going through over in Haiti. To this day we have our earthquake supplies ready at hand . You learn quickly when your services and supplies are nothing for two weeks and there nothing you can do . It happened when 9/11 and  Katrina hit , and the tornado that hit our hometown .. our lives here are so full here  and yet there are so many without anything ! Not even water to drink . Washing the dishes or brushing my teeth , showering , I do not want to waste one drop of water ~ knowing they have no drops of water to drink ...our hearts are heavy and go out to those in need .

http://www.redcross.org/ Please help and donate of you can .

Every cent, every dollar can help , please if you can help the earthquake victims.

Please Pray for Haiti Earthquake Victims

"....And we pray for those who died in this recent disaster.
May their souls rest in peace.
May their families be comforted.

We pray for the living survivors.
Be with them, Lord, in this traumatic time.
May they experience Your healing,
In their spirits as well as their bodies.

We pray for the communities affected.
May they come together in solidarity
To rebuild and to affirm new life ..."
-by Jane Deren

Tonight's Dinner

My New MeatLoaf Project
I my efforts to cut down on red meat and meat in general and add more veggie to my meals , I tried something new.
I made a meatloaf that was my version of a veggie burger .
And to my surprise it taste pretty darn good !

Preheat Oven 350.
Spray olive oil or Pam in loaf pan.
In one bowl place in 1 pound organic grounded beef.
We have found some good beef at Costco .( We read that they
are really careful and buy the best meats in general.)
Go ahead and season with salt,
( we do not use pepper on any of our food
since we discovered how much it hurts your stomach!!)
Now break in 2 whole eggs and about a 3/4 sleeve of saltine crackers that had been smashed. You can use bread crumbs, it doesn't matter.
I found a cute cup size food processor at the local church thrift shoppe.
I love it . I don't have to drag out my big one .
Now one at a time I chopped up fine ; 2 stalks celery, a cup whole of baby carrots ,cup zucchini, 1/4 cup onions, cup of mushrooms, til you have an equal amount as the hamburger 50 / 50 and mixed it all up .
I did had two teaspoons of fresh minced garlic that I keep in the ref. door from Trader Joes.
Once it is all mixed up good , then I add my regular veggie size that I would have normally put in my meatloaf , of celery,carrots and onions ... I cheated and sprinkle some bacon bits on top . (I've been buying little packages of them to use on top of baked potatoes or inside omelettes ..less fat ! and cheaper ...)
Now I did cover it and bake for 1 hour . At the end I uncovered and broiled til brown .
You can use what ever veggies you have on hand or you like ... the results should be the same .
Next time I think I will make a double batch and make a batch into hamburgers and put in the freezer to have for lunch all ready to go . I like to cook for the next day or all day for the whole week , so I only have big miss to clean up . I swear just for the two of us, there still seems to be alot of dishes!
Anyway we had good ole yummy mashed potatoes and fresh steamed green beans. Prefect!
And Yummy. After a long day at work it was the prefect comfort food !
I just forgot to take a picture when it was whole still in the pan ... I should have taken pictures of each step ... may be next time . I'm still new at all this.

Free is always good.

As a nice gift over the holidays we were giving a gift card for whatever we wanted.
So in the spirit of saving not spending , we treated ourselves to the best salad and pizza in town . BJ"s serves this delicous chicken salad which I have their honey mustard dressing on the side so I can control the amount . Now I know how Rachel came up with Yummy-O and De-lish ! And the pizza ... Oh My Gosh !My half is BBQ chicken..the other half is the works.. heartburn .. who says ? One slice is over the top. We bring home left overs and make a huge romaine spinach salad in my spinner for a couple days and make three days worth of goodies ! For FREE ! Remember to add lots of salad and /or vegies and it will fill you up and is good for you !
*** Calories in and calories out *** This is an example of me trying to prove that I can eat this wonderful stuff and still lose weight . Like the french live , just take a small amount of the best stuff ... and you will learn to enjoy every bite ! You will get full much sooner than eating to fast ... when you eat fast before you have time to realize you are full the pizza is gone ! Oh no !!
"2010 I will be thin ! "
Already lost 2 pounds ...
We weighted ourselves on New Years so we could make it a top priority in our lives to start taking care of ourselves. I think it's easy , when you take care of others all day long , to forget to take care of ourselves . Its easy to get lazy or say I'm too tired .
So here is Me, Myself and I !
Body, Mind and Soul.
Me - how did I get here - the real me trapped in this body -
Myself - state of mind ,truth, peace and happiness -
I - love God , my family and my life, who needs more -





FYI
Part of our motto for the year is " 2010 We will not spend !" It is to help me downsize , declutter, and make life more simple . How many times have you bought something once and then had to go buy it again because you couldn't find it ? Unfortunately as foodie,retired chef, cake designer, artist, crafter, thirfty shopper , I have stuff .
It's funny to explain to my husband, "BUT honey look at all the money I saved ! " , when he quickly comes back with ... "Just think how much more you would have saved had you NOT bought it ! " Ying and Yang in true form .
Crafters are the best recyclers ! That in itself makes for problems . Another project.
It's going to be a busy year , but I feel really good about .

Reasons to Walk or Ride Our Bikes ! $ 3.59 a Gallon at the Pump !

Wow ! $3.59 in the winter ! That sounds like highway robbery . To say that it is a good sign the economy is getting better , is crazy !!!! Who makes this stuff up?

How Do You Keep Crumbs Out of the Butter

If you are like me, don't you just think that butter is in one of those prefect food groups ?
Butter just has a way of making things just right . Some days you just can't get along unless you have come crossed it . Doesn't matter if it's in the morning , noon or night.
But some how , some way , and never fails ....when you go to get your share of this tasty bit , you look to find a bunch of crumbs !!!
E gads!!!YUK !

But Just Like Crumbs in the Container of Prefect Butter,
Don't let the little things ruin your day.
Not all crumbs are bad. And there is certainly no crumby butter.
I want my cake and butter and eat it too!! Just have to figure out
the best way to do that .

So Now What would you like to do?
Like the song says:
" Don't worry be happy ! "
Can it be that easy?
This is my challenge for 2010 .
I have created this blog to share my everyday life.
Me, Myself & I.

FYI:

For over the millennia, humans have had an relationship with butter.It has a luscious mouth feel that imparts a rich, creamy taste to everything . Think of fresh harvested vegetables out of your own garden or mashed potatoes, or flaky butter cookies. Butter effortlessly carries other flavors, and is often the vehicle for delivering herbs, citrus, or nuttiness to both savory and sweet dishes.

Now we know that butter’s negative reputation was undeserved. We now know instead that Corp. America's butter substitutes and manmade trans fats are the true evil-doers that pose threats to our health.

Studies reveal just how important butter is to a healthy diet. It supplies our bodies with vitamins and minerals; boosts our immune system; helps hormone production; and supports our bones, organs, and most importantly, our brain. Good natural butter is satisfying and can even help with maintaining a healthy weight.

Just the facts mama, just the facts:

• Discover how butter compares to other fats > Go to butter comparison
• Explore the world of baking with butter > Go to baking