Category Archives: Blogs

TT #20 ~ 13 Tips for eating Healthier

Photobucket is holding all my photos I stored with them from 2007-2015 hostage. They have blacked out all those photos on my blog posts. OH BOTHER! I’m slowly cleaning up my posts.

These tips are from one of my new favorite sites SparkPeople.

1. Use mustard instead of mayo on your sandwiches. You’ll get lots of flavor with much fewer calories and fat.

2. Select whole wheat bread over white bread. Be sure to read the label to ensure you’re getting whole grains, not just colored white bread.

3. Eat the white meat of turkey or chicken, which is lower in fat than dark meat, red meat and pork. Animal fat is the number one dietary source of unhealthy saturated fat.

4. Start using lean ground beef, pork tenderloin or fish instead of high-fat cuts of meat.

5. Change your cooking methods. Bake, grill or broil your meals instead of frying. Use non-stick sprays—or better yet, non-stick pans—instead of oil.

6. Drink more water. Slowly reduce the amount of soda you drink and replace it with herbal tea or water. Aim for eight cups of pure water each day.

7. Don’t drink your calories. Eat a whole orange instead of drinking a glass of juice, for example. Real food is usually more filling and more nutritious than juices, fruit drinks, and other high-calorie beverages.

8. Serve sauces and dressings on the side. Dip your fork into the sauce, then dip your fork into the food. You’ll still have the flavor but with fewer calories.

9. Gradually switch to skim milk. Milk commonly comes in four varieties: whole (4% fat), 2%, 1% and skim (0% fat). Gradually wean yourself from the higher-fat varieties to the lower fat milk every two weeks. For example: continue drinking your normal 2% milk for two weeks, then move to 1% for two weeks, and then your palate will be ready for the consistency of skim milk.

10. Switch from full-fat cheeses to reduced-fat or fat-free cheeses the same way you would with milk (see tip above).

11. Order vegetables on the side instead of fries. Flavor them with lemon juice or herbs instead of butter.

12. Snack on fruit and nuts instead of sugary treats. The fiber, protein and healthy fats in this combo will sustain you to your next meal and you won’t have the energy slump that comes after eating candy.

13. Reduce your portion size. Most people will eat whatever amount of food is in front of them, so start putting your meals on smaller plates. You will be just as satisfied because your mind “sees” that you’re eating a full plate of food.

For more inspiration on sensible eating check out the Brown Plate Special I’m a part of…

For more TT’s click here.

Wildflowers in Winter ~ Week 4

 

The Wildflower fun is continuing at Elizabeth Joy’s site. This week February 6th thru the 12th the theme is decorating in the home.

Wildflowers in the Home – Decorating with wildflowers. Show us dishes or other decorations made by you or someone else that you have in your home. Save the fabric decorations and paintings or drawings for the next two weeks.

I’m sharing dishes that I have with floral themes. Some may not be true wildflowers. I’m also including two collages of tea-cups that we have given to my mother over the years that have more of a wildflower feel to them.

My china pattern is Moss Rose by Royal Albert.

These are Johnson Brothers English Chippendale (pattern 103232)

These are a few of the Tea-Cups we have bought our mother over the years.

 

For more Wildflowers in the Home visit Elizabeth Joy at Wildflower Morning.

Photobucket is holding all my photos I stored with them from 2007-2015 hostage. They have blacked out all those photos on my blog posts. OH BOTHER! I’m slowly cleaning up my posts.

The Brown Plate Special ~ Week 1

***Please scroll down to the next post if you are here for FUN MONDAY!

I’m joining my friend Kim at Hiraeth for the Brown Plate Special. Along with Lovella and her Walking Club I’m hoping these two accountability groups will help me reach some of my goals for being in better shape and weighing less while enjoying food I love. Today is the first Monday that I will be posting whether I had any weight loss or gain. Yikes. I think this first week should be great because of the typical water weight loss I have at the beginning of any sensible program. So let me run off to the scale and I’ll be right back to tell you what it shows. No not the total weight (I’m not that accountable) just the loss or gain people!!

Woohoo! I am down 4.8#’s. I realize much of this is water weight but who cares I love seeing smaller numbers on the scale. I also realize my weight loss for the next weeks will be closer to 1 lb. a week or less but that’s ok, too. I’m excited to keep going…

Below you’ll find an explanation of what The Brown Plate Special is with links to Kim’s site if you want to join us or just see how this is working.

The Brown Plate Special

In the comments of my recent Recipe Round-up/Snackalicious Super Dishes post my friend, Ellen B, left a haunting question; well, at least a question that’s been haunting me for some time now:

How’s an aging girl who loves food (and LOVES to cook) ever gonna lose weight…?

 

I’ve given it a lot of thought and I think I have come up with a doable plan for aging girls like me and Ellen.  I am calling it “The Brown Plate Special” and I invite you to try this along with me!

I got the idea when I bought a couple of cute little chocolate brown plates on clearance last week.  They are just 9 inches in diameter instead of the standard 10.5 inches and have a little “well” in the center that is 6.5 inches in diameter.  I’m thinking that if I commit to using this little brown plate instead of a regular plate for all my meals, and “load” it only so that it looks visually porportionate to a normal serving of food on a normal plate, slowly but surely I will get portions under control and begin to lose weight without giving up cooking and eating the foods we love.

You can use any small sandwich or dessert plate.  The only other guidelines are just the common sense stuff that most of us in our 40’s and 50’s have already come to grips with:

  • No between meal snacking
  • No evening snacking
  • No second helpings
  • No deserts except on special occasions

Since accountability is essential in such matters, I’ll be weighing in every Monday morning and I’ll confess my weight loss (or lack thereof) in a regular Monday morning post.

If you decide to join me, feel free to invite friends to join us by writing a post and adding this handy dandy button in your side bar.   You can post your weekly progress on a post of your own or in the comments of my weekly post.

So, what have you got to lose

 

Fun Monday ~ The Bucket List…

Tiggerlane, the Neophyte is hosting Fun Monday this week. Here’s her assignment.

Have you heard of The Bucket List? Well, that’s what I want from you! Make a list of things you want to do before you die. It must be at leastfive items – and you can make it as long as you desire. Photos are optional. And let’s hear about some of the wackiest, most bizarre to-do’s on your Bucket List!

These are not listed in order of importance just in order of how they came into my brain.

1. Visit Ireland. And while there I want to visit Trinity College and see the Book of Kells. I also want to tour the Guinness Brewery. A visit to the Jameson Distillery for my husband’s pleasure. I want to eat a good meal in Cork. I’d like to see the countryside. I’d love to do a Pub Crawl with some good traditional Irish music.

2. I’d love to experience grandchildren.

3. I’d like to fly first-class to Australia or New Zealand so the many hours in the plane would feel more comfortable.

4. I’d like to have a great famous cook like Ina Garten or Jamie Oliver cook a meal for me and my friends at my house with a clean up crew.

5. I’d like to walk across England from the Irish Sea to the North Sea.

6. I’d like to meet some of my bloggy friends at a spa resort.

7. I’d like to be living back in my home in the Seattle area.

I’m just not a person who desires whacky or bizarre things in my life. I’m happy with a cup of tea in a beautiful setting.

Or a lovely meal with friends. A worshipful church service where the truth is taught and the love of God is felt. Probably the most out of this world experience I think would be real cool is …

8. The Acts 2:2-4 experience…”Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”

For me that would be an amazing experience.

For more Bucket lists check out Tiggerlane’s site for more links to Fun Monday posts…

Photobucket is holding all my photos I stored with them from 2007-2015 hostage. They have blacked out all those photos on my blog posts. OH BOTHER! I’m slowly cleaning up my posts.

And the Winner Is ~

 

 So I am happy to announce the winner of my bloggy giveaway! The generator chose #33 from the 797 comments left on my blog for this giveaway. Whew I’m tired just thinking about it. So who is #33 you ask….

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:

33

Timestamp: 2008-02-01 14:01:14 UTC

My number 33 commenter is (drum roll please!) Barbara H. from Stray Thoughts!!!!

Here’s her comment ~

on January 28, 2008 at 6:44 am33 Barbara H.

Ellen, that’s gorgeous! You know I love hearts. -) Count me in!

So Barbara you were counted in and you were the winning number. Congratulations. I’ll be emailing you for your address. Blessings and may love flow from your heart when you wear this necklace or give it away….

Thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway.

Antique Valentine Postcards (1909 – 1915)

For Show & Tell this week I’d like to share these antique Valentine Day Post Cards that Dear’s Great, great Aunt Emma received from 1909 to 1915. They all have 1 cent stamps on them.

Photobucket is holding all my photos I stored with them from 2007-2015 hostage. They have blacked out all those photos on my blog posts. OH BOTHER! I’m slowly cleaning up my posts.

For more Show and Tell visit There’s No Place Like Home.

I Was Tagged! (Thank Goodness it’s not Graffiti!)

 Angie at Bloggin daz has tagged me for a meme with these questions that she has come up with…

1. Are you rooting for the Patriots or Giants?

a. Go Giants!
b. Go Patriots!
c. No strong feelings either way, but should be a good game
d. The what?

I’m torn, I’m amazed that the Patriot’s have had a perfect season and that it would make history for them to win but then the real fan (my daughter) is rooting for the Giants so heck, I guess I’ll say Giants…
 

2. Seven choices of vacation. Pick one:

a. Beach house, white sand, great waves
b. Condo in the mountains; view of snowy peaks
c. Nice hotel in New York City with tickets to the latest Broadway show
d. Tour of historic sites and museums in Greece and Italy
e. Bed and breakfast with time for antiquing
f. Home–sleeping in, hanging out, and doing stuff you don’t usually have time to do
g. I prefer not to take vacations.

I’m going to say (d) the tour of historic sites and museums in Greece and Italy. I am more comfortable visiting countries where English is spoken but Italy and Greece have so much history that I’m sure I would enjoy them...

3. Coffee drinker? If no, why? If yes, sugar, cream, or neither?

Yes, at least 12 oz. of coffee every morning before 8 am black!

4. What’s the last book you read (or are you in the middle of reading)?

I have finished Hood by Stephen Lawhead and I’m currently reading Pilgrim’s Inn by Elizabeth Goudge. Goudge is one of my new favorite authors.

5. You’re at the grocery store, waiting in the check-out line with a cart full of stuff. You glance over your shoulder for a moment, wondering whether you should have picked up an extra package of waffles. When you turn around, you notice that a lady has cut in line in front of you. Your eyes meet. She glowers and starts to put her items on the belt. You:

a. Grumble to yourself but don’t say anything out loud. You dislike scenes.
b. Say, “Excuse me, ma’am, but I was next in line.” That’s about as far as you’d take it, though.
c. March over to the belt, push her items onto the floor, and tell her that she and her cream of mushroom soup can go get in line like everybody else.
d. Grab your cell phone and snap a picture of the lady, thinking “Yes! I’ve got something good to blog about!”

Oh absolutely (d) since I’ve been bloggin for almost a year now this would be a great post. Also when I’m walking in the Spirit these little inconveniences don’t bother me as much as they used to…

6. Please share two or three links of things that made you laugh. Out loud. A blog post, a cartoon, a YouTube clip–whatever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFLS_RexrWA

I’m a real dweeb with linky kind of things but this one I’ve shared is very funny in my opinion.

thanks Angie!

Thankful Thursday ~ Compassion

 

I am thankful for God’s compassion for us.

Before he formed us in our mother’s womb, before his creation multiplied on the earth He planned a way for us to be made alive with Christ. His compassion for the lost world because of sin sent His son to the cross to suffer and die for us. Without the sacrifice on Jesus’ part on behalf of us we would still be dead in our sins, separated from God, utterly lost. We are redeemed through Christ’s blood.

Thank you God for your compassion.

Thank you Jesus for your sacrifice.

Thank you Holy Spirit for your work in our lives to help us to be a compassionate people who love like God and sacrifice like Jesus.

Ephesians 4:32, 5: 1-2 ~

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you.

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

Praying that God through His Spirit helps us to be a compassionate people who see the world through His eyes…

For more Thankful posts visit Iris at Sting My Heart.

TT #19 ~ Hope for Spring Walk

If you are here for Wildflowers in Winter the literary edition please scroll on down to the next post…
For my Thursday Thirteen this week I’m sharing 13 images from my walk in anticipation of Spring. I looked for signs of Hope for this wonderful season we’ll experience soon…

 

These were all taken from yards and common areas in my neighborhood. For those of you living in regions that actually experience 4 seasons remember my walk was in sunny Southern California.

 

My thirteenth image is of my shadow which I hope will become smaller by Spring!

For more TT click here.

Photobucket is holding all my photos I stored with them from 2007-2015 hostage. They have blacked out all those photos on my blog posts. OH BOTHER! I’m slowly cleaning up my posts.

Wildflowers in Winter Week Three ~ Literary

All of these photos of Spring flowers were taken in England. The third photo on the top of the collage is of a Fritillaria meleagris which grow wild on the grounds of Magdalene College in Oxford. This photo was taken on Addison’s Walk, a footpath along the grounds and River Cherwell. When we were on this trip I wasn’t a blogger yet. If I was, I would have taken more and better photos of this wonderful flower. I’ll add a google image of a closeup so you can see it better. The 1st photo I believe are Anenome nemerosa. The second daffodils. The fourth are Pink Pom Pom Aster? Any real gardeners and flower buffs can correct me if I’m wrong, please.

Fritillaria meleagris

While on one of our trips in England we stayed on the Farm in the center picture in the Lake District. This was the first time I ever experienced hearing a Cuckoo Bird. I was amazed and excited to realize it really says “cuckoo, cuckoo”. Then after hearing the cuckoo from our room at the Bed and Breakfast we got to see some of these cuckoos as they flew from tree to tree on one of our walks. This brings me to the poem about Spring and Flowers and the Cuckoo that I chose to share for week 3 of Wildflowers in Winter. I would highly recommend a walking tour in the Lake District or the Cotswolds in late Spring and early summer.

To The Cuckoo

~ by William Wordsworth

O BLITHE New-comer! I have heard,
I hear thee and rejoice.
O Cuckoo! shall I call thee Bird,
Or but a wandering Voice?

While I am lying on the grass
Thy twofold shout I hear,
From hill to hill it seems to pass,
At once far off, and near.

Though babbling only to the Vale,
Of sunshine and of flowers,
Thou bringest unto me a tale
Of visionary hours.

Thrice welcome, darling of the Spring!
Even yet thou art to me
No bird, but an invisible thing,
A voice, a mystery;

The same whom in my school-boy days
I listened to; that Cry
Which made me look a thousand ways
In bush, and tree, and sky.

To seek thee did I often rove
Through woods and on the green;
And thou wert still a hope, a love;
Still longed for, never seen.

And I can listen to thee yet;
Can lie upon the plain
And listen, till I do beget
That golden time again.

O blessed Bird! the earth we pace
Again appears to be
An unsubstantial, faery place;
That is fit home for Thee!

I’m adding two photos of my husband and our daughter and myself with our daughter on Addison’s Walk on the grounds of Magdalene College where Tolkien and C.S. Lewis would walk and talk.

For more literary contributions to Wildflowers in Winter Week 3 click here.

Photobucket is holding all my photos I stored with them from 2007-2015 hostage. They have blacked out all those photos on my blog posts. OH BOTHER! I’m slowly cleaning up my posts.