tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46017576412779213302024-02-06T23:52:40.207-05:0030 day challengeI am a military wife, mama of two, and hope to spread kindness and understanding. I decided to take a 30 day challenge in order to save money on groceries. I shop less, give into impulse items less, and turn boring leftovers into new meals. My family is on a path supporting our wellness with Young Living's essential oils. I am an independent member, number 11918323. This blog has turned into a collection of every aspect of my life.food loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04481273051822556379noreply@blogger.comBlogger333125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4601757641277921330.post-43956101113550319682019-04-19T15:29:00.000-04:002019-04-19T15:29:08.591-04:00Life Lessons I've Learned As A Military SpouseApril 19, 2019<br />
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You know when time seems to stand still and speed up simultaneously? Somehow that's how it feels right now. We have been a military family for just shy of 21 years and we are just months away from turning in retirement paperwork.<br />
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This transition will surely bring mixed feelings. I can't even imagine how big the sigh of relief will be when we step away as civilians. No more deployments hanging over our heads. Yet, putting this life behind us just doesn't seem possible. It's all we've known. My hubby joined the Army at age 18 (I was 19) and we moved across the country from our family. The military life has taught me many lessons over the years and I'm incredibly thankful for our time in service.<br />
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Lesson #1: Embrace your "family".<br />
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I'm sure you've heard members of the military referring to each other as their brothers. They start as friendships but when you add in the trust required to know that they will have your back during deployments/training it becomes something more. The brotherhood between them is remarkable.<br />
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The other part of this family is the military spouses. We are uprooted from everything we know. Then a few years later, those roots are pulled again. And again. And again. There's no family nearby to help with the kids. There's no family nearby to help pass the worries/long days of deployments. But the military spouses that surround you creates a sisterhood. Those women will become your family. Those women will celebrate holidays and birthdays with you. They will love your children like they are their Aunties. Hold onto that family because friendships like this are something incredibly special.<br />
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Lesson #2: After each PCS, make your community your home.<br />
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One of the biggest differences between a military family and a civilian family is where they call home. Civilian families may call one town home from the day they are born until the day they die. They know everyone in town. They have friends they've known all their lives. They know the layout of the town like the back of their hand.<br />
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A military family is lucky if they call a town home for three years. Then we leave our friends behind. With a change of duty station also comes a change of doctors, eye doctors, dentists, hair dressers, churches, schools, etc. Moving to a new town and choosing a house/school without knowing anything about the community is rough.<br />
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It is easy to fall into the routine of keeping to yourself because you don't know anyone. But one thing that can make all the difference is getting involved. Maybe you join a sports club. The sense of belonging we got when our kids joined a soccer club was probably one of the best memories we have through our entire military life. Maybe you volunteer or join a church or meet up with other military wives for coffee. Whatever it is that you choose, getting outside of your comfort zone and meeting others and being involved will make your new place feel like home. This is when you will meet your "family".<br />
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Lesson #3: Find a routine.<br />
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Military life is full of separations. Deployments, TDY, schools, training, moving aircraft, being out in the field, you name it, the military finds a reason that you need to be away from your spouse. The time can drag on. I found the best way to get time to go by is to get into a routine.<br />
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The weekdays seemed to be the easiest to find a routine because of school, homework, and extra curricular activities. The weekends which you normally look forward to when your spouse is home can sometimes become dreaded when you are holding down the home alone.<br />
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I would usually find an activity for us to do on Saturdays. We would get together with friends whose hubby's were also gone. It didn't need to be a big activity. Just getting together, sitting around chatting while the kiddos played, and making dinner together was awesome. You could feel some of the stress and loneliness lift. We also enjoy going to the zoo. The kids would get out some energy and the bonus is we all got fresh air which is great for lifting spirits. Sundays we would relax and take a break from the hustle of the week and get things ready for the week ahead.<br />
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If you have a deployment coming up, it may be helpful to check out this post I wrote about preparing for deployments. <a href="https://creativesaver.blogspot.com/2018/03/how-to-prepare-for-deployment-all-that.html">https://creativesaver.blogspot.com/2018/03/how-to-prepare-for-deployment-all-that.html</a><br />
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If you have already been through a deployment, it may be helpful to check out this post I wrote about how to reconnect/understand your soldier when they return home. <a href="https://creativesaver.blogspot.com/2018/03/reconnectunderstand-your-soldier-after.html">https://creativesaver.blogspot.com/2018/03/reconnectunderstand-your-soldier-after.html</a><br />
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Lesson # 4: Planning will be difficult.<br />
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You'll probably say the words "I don't know" quite a bit. You probably won't know the answer to just about any question you get asked. Will your hubby have to deploy? For how long? When will he get home? Do you have to move soon? Where are you moving to? Are you going to come home to visit? Will you be able to make it to the wedding?<br />
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Then there are the times when you think you know the answer and you make plans. The military will inevitably change their mind and your plans will need to change.<br />
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You can either wallow in it or find a way to release the stress and keep going. I figure this is a life lesson teaching our kids that you need to roll with the punches. If there is a roadblock you can let it hold you back or find a way to continue on.<br />
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Lesson # 5: Let go.<br />
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It is so important to find a way to let go of the stress. Military life is hard. There's no way around that. While it brings lots of opportunities and friendships, it also brings stress, worry, and heartache. If you hold onto the stress, it will impact so many areas of your life including your physical health. I can't even begin to tell you how thankful I am that my family found ways to deal with our emotions and move past them.<br />
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What you focus on is what you will see. Ever notice when you buy a new car, you start seeing the same car everywhere? Your emotions do the same thing. If you focus on the negative, that is all you will see. To move forward you need to learn ways to let go.<br />
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Lesson # 6: Don't lose yourself.<br />
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It's really easy to lose who you are when you are a military family. Everything becomes about the military. Find your sense of purpose and hold onto it. Maybe you want to finally finish those college classes. Maybe you want to start a small business. Whatever it is that fills your soul with purpose, run with it. Your dreams don't have to take a back seat.<br />
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It's hard to believe our military service is coming to an end. It feels like just yesterday that we packed up that first U-haul. We've had 7 duty stations and 9 homes, been through 2 deployments and countless TDYs, and had to bury way too many friends. I know we'll always carry a piece of the military life in our hearts. My walls will probably always be full of our favorite military pics. My eyes will always be full of tears every time I hear the national anthem sung. I'm so proud of all we've accomplished and all we've overcome. There is unrelenting strength inside yourself, you just have to find it.<br />
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<br />food loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04481273051822556379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4601757641277921330.post-62441167502165749962018-09-20T18:27:00.000-04:002018-09-20T18:27:08.416-04:00Chocolate Peppermint Zucchini BreadSeptember 20, 2018<br />
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Fall is here and my garden is in full harvest mode. I really thought that by now my zucchini plants would have given up. Ha! I walked through them today and couldn't believe all the new blossoms and new little zucchinis starting to grow! There are a few large ones (great for baking) still on the plants so I wanted to dig in today.<br />
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I was craving something sweet. Let's face it. I'm always craving something sweet. I found a recipe for chocolate zucchini bread on twopeasandtheirpod. I made a few tiny alterations to the recipe.<br />
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I like baking with shredded zucchini because it adds so much moisture to whatever you are baking. Sometimes I will peel the zucchini first and other times I shred the whole thing. If you have picky eaters, I'd suggest peeling it first. The peel doesn't change the flavor at all but chances are they will see it in the dish if there are green flecks. Today, I started by peeling the zucchini.<br />
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Another thing to keep in mind with zucchini is the water content. It adds a lot of moisture to dishes but sometimes it can add too much. You need to use your judgment. If it is very wet when you shred it, give it a squeeze to get rid of a little of the water.<br />
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Ok, ready for the recipe?<br />
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1 cup flour<br />
1/2 cup cocoa<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (I actually used kosher salt)<br />
2 large eggs<br />
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled (I didn't have unsalted so I used regular)<br />
1/4 cup canola, vegetable, or melted coconut oil (I used coconut oil)<br />
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla<br />
1 1/2 cups packed shredded zucchini<br />
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided (I used milk chocolate)<br />
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I decided to add 3 drops of Peppermint Vitality Essential Oil (Young Living is the only brand I trust).<br />
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5 bread pan.<br />
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Stir together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.<br />
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In another bowl, add eggs, butter, oil, vanilla, and brown sugar. Add in the essential oil. Stir.<br />
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Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Don't overtax. Stir in the zucchini. Stir in 3/4 cup of chocolate chips.<br />
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Spread the batter into the pan and sprinkle the rest of the chocolate chips on top. Bake for 50-60 minutes (mine took 60). Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool before slicing.<br />
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I hope you are prepared for how much zucchini you are going to want in the future. Ha! This turned out delicious! My son liked it and my daughter squealed and said "oh mama! It's really good!" while she gave me a thumbs up. Ha! I'd say this recipe passed the test.<br />
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*I can only speak to the safety of ingesting Young Living's Vitality line of essential oils.food loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04481273051822556379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4601757641277921330.post-58968906958547823072018-07-19T17:04:00.002-04:002018-07-19T17:04:25.761-04:00Blackberry Lemon Zucchini BreadJuly 19, 2018<br />
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The monster of the growing season. Zucchini. It doesn't take long until you run out of ideas on how to use it up. I still can't believe how many zucchini my garden is spitting out! I wanted to try a new baked good today. I saw that I had blackberries that we had picked and froze so I figured I would use those up too.<br />
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I pulled the bread out of the oven and my daughter said it looked cool, like something you would get at Panera Bread. I'll take that compliment! I was a little surprised to see my daughter go back for a second slice. She claims she doesn't like blackberries. Ha! Then an hour later after seeing her dad try the bread she said "oh yeah, I forgot there was zucchini in there".<br />
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I read a tip today. You can peel the zucchini so your kids won't see the green flecks in the bread. My kids know there is zucchini in whatever I was making today but I did peel maybe half of it to try out the tip and see how it looks. I froze the remaining shredded zucchini in one cup increments and I should be able to hide it in a few dishes seeing as there isn't much green.<br />
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Alright, on to the bread.<br />
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Blackberry Lemon Zucchini Bread:<br />
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2 cups flour<br />
2 teaspoons baking powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
2 eggs<br />
2/3 cup sugar<br />
1/2 cup vegetable oil<br />
1/2 cup milk<br />
1/2 Tablespoon lemon juice<br />
8 drops Lemon Vitality essential oil (Young Living)<br />
1 cup grated zucchini<br />
about 1 1/2 cups blackberries<br />
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Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9x5 bread pan. Add the lemon juice to the milk and set aside. You could use buttermilk instead but I never buy buttermilk and just do this substitution when I make breads like this. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, and lemon essential oil. Add milk and stir until combined. Stir in zucchini.<br />
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Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until almost combined, then add blackberries and carefully fold together until just combined. Pour into pan and bake until toothpick comes out clean. Start checking around 55 minutes. Mine took an hour and ten minutes.<br />
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I think we could make this recipe with just about any berry. I may try it next time with either blueberries or raspberries. Yum!<br />
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*I can only speak to the safety of ingesting essential oils from Young Living's Vitality line.</div>
<br />food loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04481273051822556379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4601757641277921330.post-53994691436407348402018-07-06T19:27:00.000-04:002018-07-06T19:27:03.987-04:00Lemon Zucchini MuffinsJuly 6, 2018<br />
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It's summer and my garden is starting to look green and full of life. I think we usually plant 1 or 2 zucchini plants. Welp. This year the store we were at only had them in four packs. Wouldn't ya know it all four plants look like they are going to be huge. We picked our first zucchini today and made some delicious muffins. If you are looking for something to make with all of your zucchini, look no further. Ha!<br />
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These muffins are my son's favorite. I used to add lemon baking chips to them and he would eat them as fast as I could make them. I can't find lemon chips locally anymore so last fall I made a slight change to the recipe. Instead of lemon baking chips, I would add Lemon essential oil (from Young Living's vitality line) and white chocolate chips. I didn't tell my son what I did different. He loved them! I asked what was his favorite part and his reply was "the lemon chips"<span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">. </span></span>Ha! I guess the recipe changes passed his inspection.<br />
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You can use this recipe for either zucchini bread or muffins.<br />
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3 eggs<br />
1 cup oil<br />
1 3/4 cup sugar<br />
2 cups grated zucchini<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla<br />
6 drops Lemon Vitality Essential Oil<br />
3 cups flour<br />
3 teaspoons cinnamon<br />
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
1 cup white chocolate baking chips<br />
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Grease and flour the pans. Recipe makes two 8x4 loaves or 24 muffins.<br />
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Beat the eggs. Mix in oil and sugar, then add the zucchini, vanilla, and Lemon essential oil.<br />
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In a separate bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add this to the egg mixture. Stir in baking chips. Divide the batter into the pans. Bake loaves at 350 for 60 minutes (plus or minus 10 depending on your oven), or until toothpick comes out clean. Muffins bake for 23 minutes.<br />
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food loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04481273051822556379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4601757641277921330.post-2685339619172088882018-06-01T18:53:00.002-04:002018-06-01T18:53:38.301-04:00Easy Homemade French FriesJune 1, 2018<br />
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My daughter loves french fries. Well, maybe it would be more accurate to say she has a french fry obsession. Ha! I can't believe it took us this long, but today we made homemade french fries. Let me tell you, they were delicious. I didn't even dip them in ketchup. Woah. I am a dipper and I didn't even realize I was basically inhaling the fries until I only had two left.<br />
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My hubby and daughter worked together and came up with the perfect fries. They used Yukon Gold potatoes. They started out by cutting the potatoes into about 1/4 inch strips. Let's be honest. Some were bigger, some were smaller. It doesn't have to be perfect.<br />
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Next, the potato strips were put in a bowl of ice cold water. This will remove excess potato starch which helps the fries to get extra crispy! The potatoes soaked while they got the burgers going, so maybe 30 minutes to an hour. Drain. Blanch the potato strips in boiling water for 5 minutes. This helps the inside of the fries to be nice and fluffy while the outside will be crispy. They laid them out on a wire rack to cool and dry.<br />
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Fry the potatoes in vegetable oil for about 5 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Remove from oil and put on a wire rack to drain the oil. Lightly salt the fries. Now get ready for your mind to be blown. So simple but so delicious!<br />
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<br />food loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04481273051822556379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4601757641277921330.post-25660961587301705392018-03-28T18:47:00.002-04:002018-03-28T18:47:24.791-04:00Cucumber Carrot SaladMarch 28, 2018<br />
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Is winter over yet?! I am itching for warm weather, working outside, and planting my garden. Bring on the fresh veggies. Bring on the light summer dinners with all kinds of salads. All this summer talk made me crave one of my favorite salads. I found the recipe (Cukes & Carrots Recipe) years ago on the Taste of Home website. I always make half of the recipe. It is also delicious for a few days as leftovers. It melds together and is oh, so yum!<br />
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This is the recipe already halved:<br />
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Thinly slice 2 1/2 cucumbers, 2 carrots, and 1/2 an onion. Chop 1/2 a green pepper. Combine all the veggies. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of canning salt and stir. Cover and put the veggies into the fridge for about 2 hours. Sometimes I'm not that patient. Ha!<br />
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Combine 3/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup vinegar. Pour over the veggies. You can put it back in the fridge for another hour or just be impatient like me and serve it immediately.<br />
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This time I made one small addition to the recipe. When I made the dressing, I also added Black Pepper Vitality essential oil. That is a strong oil, even one drop may be too much. So how do you add less than a drop? Dip a toothpick into the oil bottle and then swirl it into the dressing.<br />
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My hubby and daughter said that the salad was good but it could have used more Black Pepper oil. Maybe next time we will go with a drop?!<br />
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I also made my son's favorite- homemade sloppy joes. That boy doesn't see much of anything else when sloppy joes are put in front of him. Ha!<br />
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*Note- I can only speak to the safety of ingesting Young Living's essential oils from their Vitality line.food loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04481273051822556379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4601757641277921330.post-31648207394146326742018-03-18T15:15:00.001-04:002018-03-18T15:15:43.721-04:00Reconnect/Understand your soldier after deployment<div class="MsoNormal">
March 18, 2018</div>
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Sometimes your life brings you in a different direction for
a reason. Embrace it. Earlier this week, I opened up and talked about my very
personal and somewhat embarrassing story in hopes to bring hope to those who
may have lost it. That blog post brought me to then want to share something I
wrote a few years ago about preparing for military deployment. It could also
help struggling mamas, or someone who lives far from their family. I’ve heard
back from some military wives that were so thankful for that blog post. One
asked me to write another post about reconnecting with your loved one after
they return home from deployment. I think everyone could benefit from this
entry and find a way to apply it to their life to better understand others. So
here goes…</div>
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You made it! Your loved ones deployment is over and he is
coming home. I’m sure you have heard stories about how they will have changed
and how difficult it can be. While this is true, if you open your heart and
take a few things into consideration, it can make it a lot easier.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Peace cannot be kept
by force; it can only be achieved by understanding” (Albert Einstein).<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Take into account how he has spent the past year. He had a
heightened sense of alertness, always on the lookout for the enemy. It will be
hard to break that habit. Imagine the amount of stress that has put on him.
Letting the stress build up will affect his physical body as well. Find ways
for him to let that stress go. </div>
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He will probably be worn out. During deployment, you don’t
really get days “off”. Even if you aren’t on a mission, your state of alertness
is always on. Just think how some of us moms feel. I’ve always said that I was
ready to be “off” mom duty when the kids tuck into bed so I could relax.
Imagine never being able to turn “off”. </div>
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When he gets home, you may be anxious to go out and do
things together that you’ve been imagining for the past year. Maybe it is a day
at the zoo, shopping, traveling, or going to the movies. He may need time to
decompress and just “be” at home in his safe environment, where he doesn’t feel
the need to have his guard up.</div>
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He spent the entire last year being told exactly what to do.
Even when he didn’t agree, when he thought there was a better way to do things,
he still had to follow orders. Allow him the room to make decisions. It can be
hard because for the past year, every decision has been your own. What to eat
for dinner. What to watch on TV. What you do on Saturday afternoons. Who you
spend your time with. Remember, he hasn’t been able to do any of that. </div>
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Let’s talk about being in public. Big crowds may be
difficult for him. For the past year, a big crowd to him may have meant it was
easier for the enemy to hide right in front of him. </div>
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Seating can become something he needs to control. Don’t be
surprised if he wants to always have a line of sight to the door. He will
likely want to see who is in the room and will not want his back to them. </div>
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Sounds. Take a minute to google The David Lynch Foundation
and “Sounds of Trauma”. It is a commercial that shows the sounds of war (bombs,
explosions, guns firing, etc) along the soldiers fighting. Then it later shows
that those sounds are actually in everyday life (alarm clocks, balloons
popping, fireworks, etc). This commercial will really help you to understand
that there are triggers everywhere. If this is the only take away you get from
this post, it’ll be worth it.</div>
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Your husband probably had a very particular way of doing
things. Things had to be done correctly or someone could get hurt or killed. He
may have a hard time adjusting to let go of that control. He may crave
structure/ rules/ schedules. </div>
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You will need to help your kids to readjust to having Daddy
home. It is important to make family time and also one on one time with each
child. Kids need to rebuild that relationship. They need to feel safe and trust
that Daddy is home. It’s easy to push people away when you are scared and kids
may be worried that if they get close again, that it’ll hurt more if they have
to leave again. </div>
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One thing we may take for granted is sleep. Your husband may
have a hard time sleeping. It may take awhile to fall asleep. They may wake up
often and lay awake for hours. Survivor’s guilt and “what-ifs” can weigh
heavily on them. Find ways to support him getting good rest. </div>
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Don’t be surprised if you can’t pick things up right where
you left off. You have both gotten used to a certain way of life and now it’s
time to bring those lives back together. Communicate. Make time for you as a
couple. It’s ok to set boundaries. Maybe you need to tell family not to visit
for the first few weeks to allow time for you guys to reconnect. </div>
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Your husband now has an incredible bond with the people he
deployed with. Even though they spent every day together and probably
aggravated each other, guess what? Chances are that after a few days of being
home, they will have an unbelievable urge to hang out. It’s comforting for them
to be together. They may not talk about their deployment time, but even just
being around each other makes it feel like a weight has been lifted. Don’t take
it personally that they want to spend time together.</div>
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Did you notice how many times I wrote “for the past year”?
That was intentional. A habit takes 21 days to form. Your hubby just spent a
YEAR deployed. Give him time to adjust. Give yourself time to adjust. </div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“It is during our
darkest moments that we must focus to see the light” (Aristotle).<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Military life is hard. It is difficult to prepare yourself
for everything that comes along with it. Not being able to choose where you
live; being the “new” girl repeatedly; moving away from friends who become
family because your family is so far away; not being able to make plans because
you don’t know when you’ll get vacation or be able to visit home; spending
countless days/months/years away from your spouse; having a work schedule that
changes at the drop of a hat; having your spouse miss out on
birthdays/holidays/births/deaths; having to bury friends who have given the
ultimate sacrifice; living with the fear of the unknown and possible
deployments hanging over your head; having to miss out on family events because
you can’t take block leave; the list goes on.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Change your thoughts
and you change your world” (Norman Vincent Peale).<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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But… the military has also brought a lot to our lives. Take
a breath and focus on the good. The military has given us a steady paycheck and
job security. It’s given us health benefits and education benefits (for both of
us and in the future for our kids).</div>
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We have been able to travel all over the country and even
lived in Hawaii. My hubby got to travel to Japan. </div>
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My hubby was in an airport in Germany on his way home for
R&R. He looked up and saw someone familiar. His cousin, who he hadn’t seen
in about 25 years, was on his way to Afghanistan! After R&R (leave from
deployment), they were actually stationed at the same base in Afghanistan!</div>
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He has lived out some incredible dreams. He was Airborne
(jumped from airplanes) and even jumped with The Golden Knights (the Army
Parachute team). He met Herschel Walker (pro football player) and Troy &
Jacob Landry (from Swamp People). He became a helicopter pilot and landed at
every public airport/airfield in Louisiana. </div>
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The sense of pride from being a military family is simple
not measurable. </div>
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The friendships you make are some of the strongest
friendships you’ll ever have. </div>
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You will discover a fierce strength inside of you that you
never knew existed. I moved across the country at 19 years old. I lived in
Hawaii (4,250 miles away from family) with a one-year-old child by myself at 25
years old while my hubby was deployed. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I moved to a new state and less than 2 weeks after moving
into our house, my hubby had to go out of state to school for 6 weeks. We
received news while my hubby was home on R&R that one of his soldiers had
died. A couple days later I had to turn around and send him back to war. You
don’t know how strong you are until you have to be. </div>
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We are a few months shy of hitting 20 years in service. We
are looking forward to retirement in a couple years but at the same time, in
ways it will be hard to leave this life behind. </div>
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food loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04481273051822556379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4601757641277921330.post-35628824080155227442018-03-17T15:31:00.002-04:002018-03-17T15:39:14.379-04:00How to prepare for deployment &/or all that life throws at youMarch 17, 2018<br />
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Yesterday I shared about something personal that really made me wear my heart on my sleeve. But if I could help even one person, then it was worth sharing. It made me think about something else I had written a few years ago.<br />
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My hubby has been in the military for almost 20 years and has deployed twice. We haven't lived near family since we became adults. We have been to 7 duty stations, moved 9 times, and had to leave countless friends behind. I wrote some ideas/tips that I thought would be helpful for someone who had a loved one about to deploy. However, you could also take these tips and apply them to your life even if you have no connection to the military. So, here goes.... I once again open up my heart to you.<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; text-indent: 36.75pt;"><span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but
it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort" (Herm Albright).</span></b><br />
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It can be overwhelming to think about spending a year away from your loved one, worrying about their safety, and handling all of the household responsibilities. My husband has been deployed twice. He was sent to Afghanistan in 2004 and again in 2010.<br />
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I have learned a lot during these times and wanted to share my experiences with you. This is a short and easy read because I know that you will want to spend every possible moment with your loved one before they deploy. I found that looking up quotations helped me to deal with problems I was facing and helped to give me the positive boost that I needed to continue on. I placed some of my favorites in here for you to enjoy. Take my experiences and advice as a whole or in pieces. If even one page of my experiences helps someone, then I will feel successful.<br />
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<b>"When life gives you a hundred reasons to cry, show life that you have a thousand reasons to smile" (Author Unknown).</b><br />
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One of the first things that my husband and I had to think about was how we were going to tell our kids about the deployment. We decided that we would wait until about a month prior before telling them. We did not want the kids to sit and worry about it for months ahead of time. Our daughter was 7 years old and our son was 4 years old when we told them the news. </div>
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We explained that daddy would have to go to work for a year and that he would be far away. We told them that we could write letters and draw pictures for daddy. We would be able to talk to daddy on the phone and over the computer. We kept details to a minimum and asked them if they had any questions.</div>
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<b>"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will" (Mahatma Gandhi).</b><br />
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I knew that in order for me to feel prepared to deal with the deployment, I wanted the house ready. We thought about all of the things that should be done during the next six months. We would repeat this again during his R&R (two week leave of rest and rehabilitation). </div>
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My husband was leaving at the end of October so our list included things like packing away lawn furniture, and hanging shelves in the garage so that I could park the truck inside for the winter. I had him stock me up on cases of bottled water (I hate carrying those things!). We also decided to put my car into storage. Our housing maintenance crew will do snow removal if you do not have a vehicle in your driveway. We live in northern New York and the winters here can be tough. We felt it was worth the money to put the car into storage so that I did not have to worry about shoveling the driveway. The spouse that stays home during a deployment will have a lot of responsibility. Preparing your house for the deployment is a great way to ease the load a little bit.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Happiness is often the result of being
too busy to be miserable” (Anonymous).<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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I have found that the best way to make the time pass by is to get into a routine. I know this sounds cliché, but it really does work. A routine also helps kids to adjust and feel like things are somewhat normal. Embrace your friendships. This is the time that you will need to lean on your friends. Make a routine that works for you. </div>
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Here is the routine that worked for me. I sent a letter to my husband every day. Some people may think that they can’t do a letter daily. I felt this was very important. It helped my husband’s morale so much. I would write his letter first thing in the morning while I sipped coffee and checked emails. Don’t think you can come up with something to write about daily? The content does not matter. Your loved one will want to simply see your handwriting. They can “hear” your voice through your words. I would just tell him what we did the day prior, or something funny the kids said. <br />
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Each Monday I would send him a package. A typical package had food, toiletries, disks with his favorite TV shows, magazines, drawings from the kids, etc. I sent so many packages for two reasons. This helped my husband feel like he had a little piece of home. He could have his favorite snacks. He could keep up on TV shows. Also, these packages helped me to feel that I could take care of him even when he was on the other side of the world. <br />
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Each Friday I would have friends over for dinner. We found a TV series to watch and began it from season one. Each Saturday we would go to a friend’s house for the day. While it is important to schedule time with friends, it is also important to have down time. I looked forward to the beginning of the week. I would spend a few nights just snuggling up with my kids. During the winter months, we would spread out a blanket on the living room floor and have picnic nights. We would eat a picnic dinner while watching a family movie. A routine is a great way to help the weeks feel like they are going by quickly.</div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; text-indent: 0.5in;"><b>“As one
person I cannot change the world, but I can change the world of one person”
(Paul Shane Spear). </b>Whose world will you change today?!</span><br />
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You need to make sure that you still feel connected to your loved one. There are so many different ways to do this. We had a “daddy doll” made for our kids. It is basically like a stuffed animal but has his picture on the front along with a phrase (we put “I love you”). You can also get them with a recorded voice message placed inside the doll. Our local YMCA had a program where they made a special quilt for children with deployed parents. I submitted pictures and a couple of months later our kids were given a very memorable blanket that they could snuggle up with. The kids and I also picked out one of daddy’s t-shirts to sleep with. I ordered a calendar that had our personal photos used as the monthly photos. I had one made for my husband to take with him and one for us to use at home. Our second deployment was so different from our first. This time around we are able to send email, use webcam, and use social networking sites to keep in touch. I liked to leave messages for my husband with memories from past vacations, funny stories, etc. </div>
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A friend of mine sent me an email with a great tool for deployment. There is an Excel spreadsheet called “The Donut of Misery”. It calculates how many months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, and seconds have already been completed during the deployment as well as how many are remaining. I used this tool to help show my kids visually how much time we had left. My husband left on a Wednesday, so each Wednesday on a social networking site I would post my status as “x number of weeks down”. It was helpful to see the progress we were making.</div>
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<b>"Anyone can give up, it’s the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that’s true strength” (author unknown).</b><br />
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There will be times when it feels like there is just too much for you to bear. I had multiple loved ones diagnosed with cancer during the deployment. My kids were sick for three weeks straight. The stress of day to day activities on top of everything can feel like too much. Of course there is also the possibility of injuries occurring within your loved ones unit. It can cause your stress to rise to all new levels. This is the part when you need to pick yourself up and continue on.</div>
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<span class="messagebody2"><span style="line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Any
idiot can face a crisis- it’s day to day living that wears you out” (Anton
Chekhov).</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Keep in mind that it may not be the big issues that bother you the most. You know deep down that you have to deal with them and so you somehow find a way to get through it. I was having a particularly rough week and a seemingly small issue is what pushed me over the edge.<br />
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My daughter needed a tooth pulled but was too scared to allow the dentist to get near her. As the dentist told me that I would have to find a pediatric oral surgeon to remove the tooth, I felt myself breaking. It was the small issue that I just could not pile on top of everything else.<br />
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I ended up crying like a baby in front of the dentist. Ok, so not my first choice of how I should have handled it. However, it did teach me that we all have our limits. We need to deal with issues and not just push them aside or it will build until we just cannot take anymore.</div>
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<b><span class="messagebody2"><span style="line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“Our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but
in rising every time we fall” (Confucius).</span></span><span style="line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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The thing that I struggled with the most was allowing myself to be upset. I felt that I had to be positive every day. I felt that I was showing weakness if I had a bad day. I learned that picking yourself up after a bad day can show more strength than never having a bad day. I can honestly say that the burden is so much easier to carry if you open up and allow others to support you as well. It is not a sign of weakness. It shows that you are human. </div>
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<b>“Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did (Newt Gingrich).</b><br />
<br />
When it comes time for your loved one to come home for R&R, enjoy your time. It will go by so quickly. Do not spend it thinking about having to send them back to finish off the deployment. This time is crucial for you to rekindle your relationship and reconnect as a family. <br />
<br />
It is normal to feel overwhelmed when your loved one leaves. It was difficult to think that I still had to go through that entire amount of time alone again. My advice is to get right back into your routine. The routine is what will help the days to pass. Be proud of yourself. You have made it this far and now you know what to expect for the last half of the deployment.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“Forgiveness
comes when you give up the hope you can change the past”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Oprah Winfrey).</span></b></div>
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A year a part from your loved one can be an opportunity. I chose to use this time to work on myself. I have always had a big heart and cared about others. I wanted to use this time to really try to do more for other people. I wanted to let those I cared about know that I was thinking of them. I wanted to become a better person. I wanted to forgive those who I had past issues with. I won’t let the past actions of others define who I am today.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-indent: 0.5in;"><b>"The obstacles of your past can become the gateways
that lead to new beginnings" (Ralph Blum).</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-indent: 0.5in;">You can also use this time as an opportunity
to further your education. I am finishing up my bachelors degree while my
husband is deployed. You could finally take that cooking class that you have
been putting off or begin a new hobby. Not only will you feel better about
yourself, but it will also help to speed up the time!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-indent: 0.5in;"><b>"Dwelling on the negative simply contributes to
its power" (Shirley MacLaine and my friend’s fortune cookie).</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-indent: 0.5in;">I thought that was pretty profound for a
cookie. I have to say, I agree with that little cookie. The only way to get
through a deployment is to push past your negative thoughts and to make
something positive out of it. You can apply this to every aspect of your life.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-indent: 0.5in;">One issue I dealt with was how I let other
people’s reactions change me. I may have been having a great day and then
because of something that I read on a social networking site, I would fall
apart. I had to learn to make myself stronger than that. I decided to not let
others affect how I handle today…or any day for that matter.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-indent: 0.5in;"><b>"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a
harder battle” (Plato).</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-indent: 0.5in;">My battle is hard enough. But I do it with a
smile on my face, love in my heart, and pride for my husband. I think this
quote hits me the hardest. We tend to think that our issues are devastating,
while no one else is going through anything. If you find yourself in a
situation where someone hurts you, before you respond take a moment to put
yourself in their shoes. You have no idea what they are going through. Maybe
they had a fight with their family that morning. Maybe they are overwhelmed
with everything that they are dealing with. People tend to lash out at those we
love most, simply because we feel the most comfortable that they will love us
at our most vulnerable.</span></div>
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<b><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; text-indent: 0.5in;">“What lies behind us and what lies
before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us” (Ralph Waldo
Emerson).</span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-indent: 0.5in;">If you walk away from reading this with one thought, let it be this… I am
strong and can get through this. Find your own way to handle the deployment.
Different things work for different people. The key is to understand what works
for you and to know what you want to get out of the deployment. Good luck. May
your loved ones remain safe.</span></div>
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<b><span style="text-indent: 0in;">"I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be; for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances" </span><span style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #454545; line-height: 120%;">(</span><span style="line-height: 120%;">Martha Washington<span style="color: #454545;">).</span></span></span></span></b></div>
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<b style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">"I'm a pessimist
because of intelligence, but an optimist because of will" (Antonio Gramsci).</span></b><br />
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food loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04481273051822556379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4601757641277921330.post-14997550430583960592018-03-15T10:32:00.003-04:002018-03-15T15:31:20.159-04:00Here's me, baring my heartMarch 15, 2018<br />
<br />
I've debated making this entry for a long time. Some of it is embarrassing. Some of it is putting my heart on my sleeve. Most of my friends know my story but I haven't put much of it into my blog. Today I'm breaking that fear. Today I'm breaking that hesitation. Today I am hoping to bring hope to someone who has lost it.<br />
<br />
My story begins in 2013. I was sick. Really sick. I had 2 emergency room visits. I had an overnight hospital stay. I can't count the number of doctor visits that went on for months. I went to a gastroenterologist and had a colonoscopy and an endoscopy. Your body has 100 trillion bacteria in it with about 80% of it being good bacteria. I was put on 3 different antibiotics simultaneously which made my good bacteria count ZERO. I lost 8 pounds in a week because I couldn't eat. My husband was away for military training so my parents came to stay with me to take care of me and my kids because honestly, I could barely move off of the couch. There were days that I wondered if I should ask my hubby if he could ask his commander if he could come home early, because I just didn't know if they would figure out what was wrong with me or if I would pass away before finding an answer. I ended up with very little answers but was told that my symptoms could last a year or could last the rest of my life. Wow. It felt like they just couldn't figure everything out and they gave up on me. Being told that you would just have to deal with symptoms as your new normal stinks.<br />
<br />
My hope for writing this is to show you that you don't have to put up with what is your "normal". You have to fight for your health. You have to find something that works for you. The answer may be switching doctors and getting a second opinion. The answer may be finding the right medication. The answer may be turning to natural ways to support your body.<br />
<br />
My answer was finding Young Living. DiGize and Peppermint essential oils along with Life 9 probiotic have changed my life. They have given me my life back. I remember sitting on the couch crying because my family wanted to drive a couple hours to the Gulf of Mexico to swim and fish for the day. I had to tell them to go without me. I would worry about missing important events (like my kids award ceremonies at school) because I wasn't feeling well. I would get stressed out and have anxious feelings just worrying that I may end up not feeling well which in turn, you guessed it, made me not feel well. And now.... now that I found a way to support my body the way it should be, I don't have to stay home. I don't have to miss out on important events.<br />
<br />
Let me get a little more detailed about what works for me.<br />
<br />
DiGize essential oil can be used to speed things up or slow things down in the bathroom. It can be used if your digestive system is being a lil too noisy- say if you are in the stands of a soccer game surrounded by people. Just saying. It can be used on your chest if you eat a bowl full of salsa right before bedtime. Sometimes I don't make good food decisions. It can be used if you fill your face full of two helpings of dinner and still stuff down dessert and you feel so full you don't want to move. Feeling a little nauseous? Yep, it helps with that too.<br />
<br />
DiGize is a blend made up of the following:<br />
-Tarragon which improves digestion by stimulating secretion of digestive juices.<br />
-Ginger which calms the digestive system and speeds up the emptying of the stomach.<br />
-Peppermint which relaxes the muscles of your intestines.<br />
-Juniper which helps with cramps and maintaining proper secretions of bile in the stomach.<br />
-Fennel which increases digestion by supporting the liver.<br />
-Lemongrass which stimulates bowel function.<br />
-Anise which calms and strengthens the digestive system.<br />
-Patchouli which aids in the breakdown of food.<br />
<br />
Life 9 probiotic. Ah. I had tried so many other probiotics during the past few years and never saw any changes in my wellness. I took Life 9 for one day and saw several changes. Life 9 is in a delayed release capsule so it can bypass the stomach, which improves product efficiency. Basically, it gets the good bacteria right where it needs to go. Life 9 has 17 billion cultures in it and it gets them from 9 different strains. It is just as important to have a variety of strains as it is to have a high number of cultures.<br />
<br />
Our gut health affects our bodies in more ways than you think:<br />
-80% of our immune system is in our gut.<br />
-Mood. Our gut is called the "second brain". It has 500 million neurons that play a role in making up 30 neurotransmitters. Such as serotonin-a chemical that regulates our moods.<br />
-Weight. Gut bacteria affects cravings, metabolism, and how many calories your body absorbs.<br />
-Skin. Poor gut health is linked to skin problems.<br />
-Stress hormones attack good bacteria.<br />
<br />
Top ten reasons for reduced good bacteria in your gut:<br />
1. Processed food (not only destroys beneficial gut bacteria but also feeds candida yeast).<br />
2. Excessive caffeine.<br />
3. Antacids (your stomach has to have enough acid in it to digest properly so popping too many antacids may be hurting you.<br />
4. Tobacco.<br />
5. Antibiotics (overuse, and man can I attest to that one!).<br />
6. Triclosan (it is now in a lot of our toiletries, think toothpaste, soaps, etc and it does not differentiate between good and bad bacteria; it kills it all ).<br />
7. Steroids.<br />
8. X-rays (too many x-rays can harm gut bacteria!).<br />
9. Fluoride.<br />
10. Aging (yep, another fun fact of getting older).<br />
<br />
Yes, I sell Young Living. However, I don't love the products because I sell it. I sell it, because I love the products. They are pure essential oil. No additives, no fillers, no pesticides used on the fields. Young Living only uses the first distillation so the oils are potent and have so many beneficial properties. I can't believe the changes my family has had. From my digestion issues, to my hubby's sleep issues, to skin care, to immune system support, I could go on and on. If you want to support your health in a natural way, I'm here to help. I love researching oils. I love talking oils. I will walk you through your journey. You are not alone. You are enough. You are worth it. Don't settle for this being your "normal".<br />
<br />
I started with a Premium Starter Kit. It comes with 11 oils, a diffuser, and some samples. The kit is a great start with a variety of uses and is bundled at a huge savings (it is over $330 retail bundled for $160). You also get a wholesale account when you start with a PSK which gives you a 24% discount on anything that you add on to your kit and anything you buy in the future. If you have questions on what oils would best support you, I'm here.<br />
<br />
I'll leave my link for those ready to dive into oils. Click "wholesale" if you'd like to start with a Premium Starter Kit. Click "retail" if you just want a few items. If by telling my story, I help even just one person to feel as though they get their life back- then my heart will be full.<br />
<br />
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<br />food loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04481273051822556379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4601757641277921330.post-38277920166366890072018-02-17T16:05:00.001-05:002018-02-17T16:05:49.125-05:00Chicken PastaFebruary 17, 2018<br />
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I love it when a meal comes together. When you see random ingredients, wing it, and it turns out awesome. When the entire family agrees to put it into our rotation. Now let's see if I can remember everything that I threw together. Ha!<br />
<br />
I sautéed onion, garlic, green peppers, and mushrooms in olive oil. As they were cooking, I started on the pasta. I decided to cook the angel hair pasta in chicken broth. I make my own broth and I know it's already pretty flavorful so I didn't need to add too much other seasonings. I pulled the cooked pasta and added it to the veggie mixture along with rotisserie chicken and a small container of alfredo sauce. I grabbed some peas from the freezer and threw them into the pot of chicken broth that the pasta had cooked in. They only needed a few minutes then I added them to the pasta. I also added in a little bit of the chicken broth to thin the sauce out a bit.<br />
<br />
I actually made this dish a few nights ago and am just now getting around to writing about it. I feel like I added either a drop of Vitality essential oils or maybe even poultry seasoning but I just can't remember which one! That will teach me to stop procrastinating and write down my recipes. Ha! I'm pretty sure that I seasoned the veggies as they sautéed. More than likely I just used salt, pepper, and garlic powder.<br />
<br />
Most recipes that we make are really not recipes anyway. We grab seasonings, ingredients we like, and wing it. I like looking at recipes to get ideas and then run with it. So hopefully, you'll find an idea in this post and be able to add to your dinner rotation too!<br />
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<br />food loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04481273051822556379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4601757641277921330.post-35214607860847628652018-02-12T13:05:00.001-05:002018-02-12T13:05:07.072-05:00Childhood Favorite for Grown-UpsFebruary 12, 2018<br />
<br />
Days like today, I need to thank my son for my delicious lunch. No, he didn't cook it for me. He was my inspiration though. My boy loves sloppy joes. Like, loves loves them. It is usually the meal he requests on his birthday every year. I found a recipe (Pioneer Woman) so that I could make them from scratch instead of popping open a can. That way he still gets the childhood favorite but I know exactly what is in them and don't have to feel bad about giving in to him. I've made these for years now and they are always a big hit. Today I took it a step further and man, it was so good! I'll get to that in a minute. First, comes the sloppy joe.<br />
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I started with 1 pound of local ground beef. Add about 1/3 cup of chopped onion, 1/2 of a bell pepper chopped (I've used every color), and a clove of garlic minced.<br />
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Cook over medium heat until the beef is cooked through and the veggies are tender.<br />
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Now it's time to add the sauce ingredients. Add 3/4 cup ketchup, 1/2 cup water, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon mustard, dash of cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, and salt to taste. In a separate bowl, add a dash of Worcestershire sauce. I prefer to use Black Pepper Essential Oil from Young Living's Vitality line instead of traditional black pepper. This essential oil is strong so I just dip a toothpick into the bottle and then swirl the toothpick into the Worcestershire sauce. I did two toothpick dips (clean toothpick each time). Then add the Worcestershire sauce to the rest of the mixture. If you aren't using essential oil, just add enough black pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and let it cook down to the desired consistency. It usually just takes a few minutes.<br />
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You are now ready to have the best sloppy joe! But hold up. Do you want to take it one step further? The answer is yes. Yes, you do. I decided to turn my sloppy joe into a sloppy joe grilled cheese. I used swiss cheese and it was delicious!<br />
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Here's a tip for the tomato paste. The small can will have way more than you will need. I separate the rest of the can into tablespoon increments and freeze them. Then when my son requests sloppy joes it is as easy as popping one out of the freezer and it melts right into the sauce.<br />
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*I can only speak to the safety of ingesting Young Living's Vitality line of essential oils.<br />
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<br />food loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04481273051822556379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4601757641277921330.post-55782619191849001522018-01-06T08:25:00.003-05:002018-01-06T08:25:57.391-05:00You spent WHAT?!January 6, 2018<br />
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It's always motivating to see a big ol' savings. When I started my 30 day challenge over four years ago (ha!), that is what made me stick with the challenge. It wasn't just that I was spending less on food. It was that I actually transferred the "savings" from that week to a separate account and then watched that grow.<br />
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This past December we traveled over 1,700 miles round trip. You can't put a price tag on spending the holidays with family. However, watch me do just that....<br />
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Our trip costed us around $75. I know, I know. You spent WHAT to travel that far?? Let me break it down. This past summer the Army had us move again. We spent quite a bit of time in hotel living while we waited for renters to move out of our house. Are you in a hotel loyalty program? You should be. We earned two nights stay for free. Ok, so now that our hotel will be covered, how did I get away with food and gas for so little money?<br />
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We paid to eat at restaurants seven times. We also paid for our family and friends that came with us (9 extra meals). This doesn't count the one meal that our family took care of for us. And we all know that gas isn't cheap (especially when your route takes you through Canada). So, how did we do it?<br />
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My challenge. The money that we had "saved" from shopping smarter for food almost completely covered our vacation. We paid about $75 out of our regular budget.<br />
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If you are trying to save up for something, you need to try this challenge. If you would like a little extra cushion in your budget, you need to try this challenge.<br />
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Find the average of what you spend at the grocery store. I shop weekly. I added up four shopping trips, divided by four, and that is what I used as my average. I did the same with restaurant spending. Now your challenge is to spend less this next week. Compare brands, clip coupons, give in less to impulse buys, meal plan, eat at home, get creative with leftovers. Do what you can to make it work.<br />
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Then unlike just couponing, when you tally up the week and see that you "saved" $50, actually move that $50 to a separate account (or envelope or whatever). Seeing a savings account grow versus just knowing you spent less is so much more motivating to keep it going. You won't believe how fast that account will grow! If you spend more than your average one week, just count it as a zero. Don't take away from your savings.<br />
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We've used it to pay our mortgage (military moved us and we had to pay for two homes for over a year), vacations, a puppy, etc. The new year is a perfect time to start a new challenge. Even if you think you are already careful with spending. Even if you think you wouldn't be able to cut back. You'll be surprised when you start comparing and paying attention to what you spend, just how easy it is to cut back somewhere. How could your family benefit from having a little extra money each month?!<br />
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<br />food loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04481273051822556379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4601757641277921330.post-79198987101544702122017-11-21T18:19:00.002-05:002017-11-21T18:19:45.178-05:00Turkey, Sweet Potato, & Kale SoupNovember 21, 2017<br />
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I gave the kiddos options of either homemade pizza or soup for dinner. I went to grab the ingredients to make soup and couldn't believe I was completely out of carrots. What?! I always have carrots. How do you even make soup without carrots?! I wanted to make do with what I had so I got creative. You may want to keep this soup in mind for after Thanksgiving. It would be a perfect soup for using up those leftovers. I may rename it Thanksgiving Soup. Ha!<br />
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To start, I chopped up onion, celery, sweet potato, kale, and garlic. I sautéed the veggies in a little bit of olive oil. I added in chicken broth, chopped turkey (you could use chicken), and corn. I seasoned the soup with salt, pepper, sage, and basil from Young Living's Vitality Essential Oil line. I added in a couple handfuls of pasta and let it simmer until the pasta was tender.<br />
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Oh. My. Gosh. I think I just came up with my new favorite soup! It is so much more flavorful than just a traditional chicken soup. I love the sage and basil. It really kicks the soup up a notch.<br />
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From now on, I'll be buying an extra sweet potato anytime I am cooking up a turkey because I know what I'll be doing with the leftovers!<br />
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*I can only speak to the safety of ingesting Young Living's Vitality line of Essential Oils.</div>
<br />food loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04481273051822556379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4601757641277921330.post-72562395185306285522017-11-07T19:30:00.002-05:002017-11-07T19:30:42.998-05:00Chicken Gumbo & Apple CrispNovember 7, 2017<br />
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I've been trying to get our restaurant spending back on track. If you've followed my challenge, you know that I use our savings on groceries/restaurants for special events. Right now I am saving up for a vacation. My tip to you is to find your weakness. I know that I am our family's weakness. If I want to go out to eat, we go out. If I suggest a certain recipe at home, we eat at home. So it's on me to make us stick with it! I got groceries today and loaded us up in hopes that we stick around home for the upcoming four day weekend.<br />
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While getting groceries today, I saw really nice looking okra. I love okra, even though I really only use it one way. Gumbo. We fell in love with it when we were living in Louisiana. I play around with the recipe and tonight I used chicken. I have made it with shrimp, fish, chicken, sausage, and a combo of them.<br />
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Saute 1 cup each of green pepper, celery, and onion along with two cloves of garlic (chopped or through a press). I like to use olive oil to saute the veggies. Once they are tender, add two 14.5 ounce cans of beef broth, 16 ounces of tomatoes (I used home canned but stewed would be ok too), 1 teaspoon salt, a sprinkle of cayenne pepper, and 1 bay leaf. I used to add 1/2 teaspoon each of oregano and thyme. However, now I use Young Living's essential oils from their Vitality line. You get a huge burst of flavor plus all the benefits of supporting your body's systems. I wanted to use my oils to help boost our immune systems. They are pretty strong so you don't even need a drop of each. I think I dipped three toothpicks into the bottle and then swirled it into the tomatoes before adding it into the pot. I'd start with two and see if you want a third. Bring to a boil, cover, then turn down the heat and let it simmer for 30 minutes. If you are using fish, add that next and let it cook for 10 minutes. I used a rotisserie chicken tonight so it didn't need extra cooking time. Next add chopped okra. The pack of fresh okra that I found was about 12 ounces. I cut the top and the tip off of them, then sliced. If it feels a little harder to cut and you can hear it sounding "crispy", don't use that one. It was allowed to grow too long and will be tough. Ok, so add your sliced okra and let it simmer 5 minutes. Remove your bay leaf. I like to serve the gumbo with rice. My favorite rice is Jasmine. I also sprinkle a little bit of Tony Chachere's gumbo file on top. I don't know what it is about this gumbo recipe, but man, I just love it! So flavorful. Each bite makes me want to say mmmmm. Ha!<br />
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Now on to dessert! Seeing as dinner was a little homage to our time living in Louisiana, I figured we could do a little homage to our current home in New York. It's fall in NY and that means one thing: apples! I wanted to kick up apple crisp so that it would not only have more flavor but also give our immune system another boost. I started out with a store bought package of the dry ingredients for the crisp. I softened the butter for it and stirred in 4 drops of Young Living's lemon essential oil and 1 drop of their Cinnamon Bark essential oil. Then mix the butter with the dry ingredients, sprinkle on top of sliced apples and bake. Easy peasy. I think it's fair to say that dessert was a hit. There's hardly any left!<br />
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*I can only speak to the safety of ingesting Young Living's essential oils from their Vitality line.<br />
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<br />food loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04481273051822556379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4601757641277921330.post-64828297840079885132017-10-26T19:30:00.002-04:002017-10-26T19:30:46.082-04:00Caldillo and Mexican RiceOctober 26, 2017<br />
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I have two life lessons for you tonight. But first, a little back story. It was probably about 8 years ago and we were traveling across the country. We decided to make a pit stop at a friends house for a couple of days. It just so happened that they had some family staying with them at the same time and man did she know how to cook! So while we were there, we were treated to some home cooked Mexican meals. It was amazing. What was even more amazing was that she taught me a few of her recipes as she was cooking for us. Life lesson number one: always plan your visits around when deliciousness will happen. Ha!<br />
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Tonight's dinner is two of her recipes: Caldillo and Mexican Rice. She was very particular about the order that ingredients were added. She wasn't sure why it would make a difference, but to her it did. So, to me it does too. She didn't have measurements for a lot of it so it is based a lot off of taste. Here we go...<br />
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I had never heard of Caldillo before. Just imagine a hamburger soup with a Mexican kick. Start off by browning a pound of ground beef, along with some chopped onions. Season it with garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cumin. When you think you put enough seasonings, add more. And maybe add more again. You really want that cumin to pop. When the beef is about half way cooked, add 2 medium potatoes that are chopped into bite size pieces. Continue cooking until the beef is cooked through. Add 3 cups of water and heat to boiling. Then turn down the heat and keep it simmering, covered, until the potatoes are tender. Add 1 can of tomato sauce and a bag of frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, corn and green beans). Cook for another ten minutes.<br />
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Heat up 2 cups of water and add 5 chicken bouillon cubes to it. Set it aside. Add some olive oil to a pan. Heat the oil and then brown one cup of Mahatma rice in the oil. Carefully add 1 can of tomato sauce. It is going to splash up so be prepared! Then stir in the bouillon water. This was one thing she was very particular on. She said that you had to add the tomato sauce first! Bring it to a boil, then turn it down to low and simmer for 20 minutes. There is no need to stir. Once it is done, add some cumin and chopped fresh cilantro. Stir. Let the rice sit for 10 minutes without the lid.<br />
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To serve: Put rice and caldillo into a bowl. You can then top it with your choice of sour cream, mixed shredded cheese, tomatoes, avocado, and cilantro. We love to eat tortilla chips with it. My hubby crushed some up into his bowl. I used them as a scoop and ate some of my dinner like a dip. Yum!<br />
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Life lesson number two: learn to make do. I had to make a few adjustments to the recipes tonight. The only potatoes that I had on hand were purple potatoes. Hmmm. Ok. The recipe called for a mix of carrots, corn, and green beans. The only bag I had also included peas. Ok. I normally have a bag of Mahatma white rice. I buy this rice only for when I make this dish. I was out of it so tonight I used Jasmine rice. I didn't feel like running up to the store and didn't think these minor changes would make much of a difference.<br />
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Simple recipes but I hope you are prepared for how delicious they are!<br />
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<br />food loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04481273051822556379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4601757641277921330.post-24305130096972902232017-10-25T19:46:00.002-04:002017-10-25T19:46:28.778-04:00Four Years of Savings and Cilantro Lime ChickenOctober 25, 2017<br />
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Today is a super exciting day for me. Let me back up. Four years ago, I heard about a challenge. You know how every time you walk into a grocery store you end up getting way more than what you went in there to buy? The challenge was to stock up on groceries and then stay out of the store for 30 days. You wouldn't be tempted with impulse buys. I knew there was no way that I could do that so I put my own spin on the challenge. I figured out the average that I was spending at the grocery store each week. I added up four weeks and then divided by four. I did the same with how much we were spending at restaurants each week. My plan was to shop smarter, use up leftovers, cut down on impulse buys, and eat at restaurants less often. If I spent less than my average that week then I would actually transfer that money into a separate account. Watching the balance grow is so motivating! We would only use that money for special things. We used it for a couple vacations, to buy our puppy, and when the military moved us and we had to pay for two houses for over a year we used it to pay our mortgage. If I spent more than the average, I just counted that week as a zero. I planned on doing the challenge for 30 days.<br />
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Today was the final day in my 4th year!! I can't believe I have stuck with it so long. We certainly have not been as strict as the first year but I'm still pretty impressed with how well we did. When we moved again this year (thanks again military), we spent just over 30 days traveling. That is a lot of meals on the go. I packed our slow cooker and rice cooker. I knew that I could use the steamer tray in the rice cooker to steam up vegetables but I also found out that you could use the rice cooker to make pasta! Yes! It really cut down on how many meals we had to go to restaurants for. This past weekend was our 19th anniversary but we didn't hit up any restaurants. I planned out two meals that I LOVE that we make and it was so much tastier than going out anyway!<br />
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Ok, so are you ready for some numbers? The first year we saved $5,036.79. I was really getting creative with leftovers though. If you scroll back to some of those posts, you will probably laugh. The second year we saved $4,096.29. That year we had a move too. The third year we saved $1,518. Ok, clearly we slacked off. However, that is still over $125 a month! Today ended our fourth year and we saved $2,310.55. That is with moving and spending several weeks in a hotel! This is an average of saving just under $200 a month! What would you do with an extra couple hundred dollars a month?! This challenge really opened my eyes as to where our money was going. Need wiggle room in your budget? Try out this challenge. You will be amazed at what you can save. Ok, one more number just because I'm excited..... ready for this? So, in four years of just shopping smarter, recreating leftovers, sticking to my grocery list (I've loosened up on that one some), and eating at restaurants a little less (we do still go out), I saved a grand total of $12,961.63. WHAT?! All I can say is thank you Katie for doing your own challenge and inspiring me!!<br />
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Now on to dinner. I ended up combining two recipes for chicken thighs. They had similar seasonings and I figured they would mesh well. I started out by making a marinade for some chicken thighs. I mixed 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 large garlic cloves (through my garlic press), and about 4 tablespoons of chopped cilantro. I added in some of Young Living's essential oils from their Vitality line. I added 8 drops of Lime and 1 drop of Oregano. I also stirred in 1/2 teaspoon of salt. I put the marinade all over the chicken thighs and then decided to sprinkle them with a little bit of cumin too. You could just add it to the marinade. Refrigerate the chicken and let them marinate for 15 minutes to 2 hours. I let them sit for probably close to 2 hours. I used a ceramic dish so that I could sear the thighs on the stovetop and then cover them and move them to the oven. I seared the chicken on one side in a little bit of olive oil. I flipped the chicken over then put the dish into the oven preheated to 375 for 20 minutes. Let the chicken rest for at least five minutes before you slice into it. The juices will redistribute and it will be so delicious.<br />
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Have you tried Rice a Roni's Cilantro Lime rice? I have a slight addiction to rice/pasta. Ok, maybe not so slight. Ha! I cooked the rice according to package directions. Once it was done, I wanted to kick it up a bit. I added two drops of Young Living's Lime essential oil from their vitality line to about a half teaspoon of olive oil and then drizzled it over the rice and stirred it in.<br />
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For the veggies, I sautéed onion, baby portabella mushrooms, and pea pods in a little bit of coconut oil. I seasoned them with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.<br />
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Dinner was a hit. The chicken was juicy and flavorful. The combo of recipes totally worked together! The rice had just the right kick. I should write to Rice a Roni and tell them to add more lime!<br />
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<br />food loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04481273051822556379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4601757641277921330.post-67835210201864458642017-10-22T19:49:00.001-04:002017-10-22T19:49:39.571-04:00Turkey Burgers and Crab RavioliOctober 22, 2017<br />
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Today was such a great food day! It is our 19th wedding anniversary today. My hubby asked if I wanted to go out for lunch or dinner. Um. Nope. We make things that taste so much better than the average restaurant. I wanted deliciousness.<br />
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We started out by making turkey burgers for lunch. We don't really follow a recipe. Start with a pound of ground turkey. I think we use 95% lean. Mix in a palmful of chopped cilantro, salt, chili powder, and lime juice. Sorry, no real measurements. He grilled the burgers for around 8 minutes. Top it with provolone cheese and guacamole. We made our guacamole with 2 avocados, a tomato, a palmful of red onion, palmful of cilantro, salt, pepper, and 6 drops of Young Living's Lime Essential Oil from their vitality line. I had my burger on butter lettuce but you could use a bun if you prefer. Yum. So much flavor.<br />
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Ah. Now on to the part of the day that I have been waiting for. Last year, we watched Master Chef and Gordon Ramsey made a dish that looked incredible- crab tortellini. We recreated it and had it last year when we caught blue crab in the Gulf of Mexico. Tonight we made a couple changes again.<br />
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For the crab stock: My hubby sautéed snow crab shells in coconut oil. He added in carrots, celery, and green onion. Once the veggies were carmelized, he added in white wine, chicken stock, and 2 drops of Young Living's Fennel Essential Oil from their vitality line. He seasoned the stock with a little salt and pepper. You could substitute Anise extract if you don't have fennel oil.<br />
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For the Filling: My hubby mixed up the cooked snow crab, chive and onion cream cheese, lemon juice/zest, and salt and pepper.<br />
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We made up some pasta dough and used our ravioli pan to shape them. Make sure that you use an egg wash for where the layers of dough need to stick together. The ravioli only need to simmer about 4-5 minutes. We served our crab ravioli with some crusty Artisan bread.<br />
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Oh my goodness. Crab ravioli is so good. I love crab. I love homemade pasta. I really couldn't have asked for a better anniversary dinner. Next up, dessert. All the dessert. We may or may not have bought 5 different desserts (sample size). But hey, we only get an anniversary once a year. Bring on the sweets!<br />
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*I can only speak to the safety of ingesting Young Living's essential oils from their vitality line.<br />
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<br />food loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04481273051822556379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4601757641277921330.post-27751046615389514732017-10-12T19:08:00.001-04:002017-10-12T19:08:40.429-04:00Mexican Chocolate BrowniesOctober 12, 2017<br />
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I ran a few errands with my son and when we got back home a craving hit me. Dessert. Any kind of dessert. I looked through the cupboards to see what I could come up with. I struck out on a few ideas and then I thought of doing my take on a Mexican chocolate brownie. Only problem is I didn't have quite everything that I needed. But if you know me, you know I don't let much come between me and my sweets! I found a way to make do with what I had.<br />
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I knew that to make my version of Mexican chocolate that I would need cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and almond extract. I didn't have the extract. Hmmmm. I searched until I came up with something that would work. I grabbed a can of mixed nuts and dried fruit. I pulled out all of the almonds and put them into my food processor until they were pretty small pieces. That'll do.<br />
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For the brownies:<br />
Mix 1/4 cup oil, 1/4 cup melted butter, 1 cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. For the cinnamon, I added two drops of Young Living's Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil from their Vitality line. Beat in two eggs. In a separate bowl, combine 1/2 cup flour, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a couple dashes of cayenne pepper. I didn't measure it but I went extremely light on the cayenne. I didn't want the heat to overtake the brownies but if you like heat, add a couple more shakes. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. I then stirred in about 1/4 cup of the chopped almonds.<br />
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Prepare a 8x8 or 9x9 cake pan by spraying it with cooking spray. Spread the brownie batter into the pan and then top with a little more of the almonds. Bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. It should just be pulling away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick should come out clean.<br />
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You will end up with a light, cake-like brownie with a nice cinnamon kick to it. I wouldn't be offended if you drizzled it with caramel. Oh, caramel. I may need to dive back in for another round!<br />
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*Note- I can only speak to the safety of ingesting Young Living's Vitality oils.<br />
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<br />food loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04481273051822556379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4601757641277921330.post-29832292475605137552017-10-05T19:21:00.000-04:002017-10-05T19:21:09.568-04:00Fall PizzaOctober 5, 2017<br />
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I'm all about making leftovers not taste like leftovers. Yesterday, I made carmelized onions for our tacos and made sure that there would be leftovers. So, I planned tonight's meal around my leftover onions. Man, that sounds weird. But trust me. Those onions are so delicious. My first thought for tonight was pizza.<br />
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The easiest way to make your pizza taste better is to step up your crust game. You can buy dough from a pizzeria or from some grocery stores. I like to make pizza dough in our bread machine. It's as easy as dumping in a few ingredients and letting the bread machine do the work. You get fluffy, delicious crust with minimal effort. Score!<br />
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I tried coming up with ingredients that would go well with the carmelized onions. This is what I came up with: sautéed mushrooms, spinach, roasted butternut squash (also leftover from yesterday), and meatballs (leftovers that I just cut into quarters). I decided to go with a white sauce so I used alfredo sauce. I wanted the toppings to show through the cheese so I put thin slices of swiss cheese onto the sauce, layered the toppings, and then finished it off with mozzarella and asiago cheese.<br />
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The kiddos wanted just plain ol' cheese pizza. I popped open a can of my homemade pizza sauce, threw some mozzarella cheese on, and called it good. All I could hear in my head was "my pizza is better than your pizza". Ha! I didn't even take a picture of their pizza, because, well, cheese pizza.<br />
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<br />food loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04481273051822556379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4601757641277921330.post-53685009559521880172017-10-04T18:03:00.001-04:002017-10-04T18:03:28.121-04:00A Taco TwistOctober 4, 2017<br />
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A few years ago, we spent just over a year eating vegetarian. One meal that we kept in our rotation even after eating meat again was black bean tacos. Sounds boring right? Just wait. These aren't your ordinary black bean taco. Try rosemary carmelized onion, garlic mushrooms, roasted butternut squash, spinach, and avocado black bean tacos.<br />
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First up is the rosemary carmelized onions. These really make the taco. I made extra so that I could have leftovers for other dinners this week. Start by slicing up two onions, very thin. Melt some butter (about 5-6 tablespoons) in a skillet and then add the onions, separating the rings as you go. Give them a minute to get cooking over medium high heat. Season them with salt and pepper. Add 4 tablespoons of brown sugar. Turn the heat down and let them cook until translucent. It may take awhile. The longer they cook, the more tender and sweet they get. I forgot to look at the time, but I probably had mine cooking close to 30-40 minutes. I wanted to add some rosemary flavor but I hate feeling like I'm chewing on sticks. Ha! So, I put a tiny bit of olive oil (probably about 1/2 tsp) into a bowl and added one drop of Young Living's Rosemary Vitality Essential Oil. Then I drizzled it over the onions. Rosemary is a very strong oil. If you want more of just a hint of rosemary flavor, you can dip a toothpick into the oil and then swirl it into whatever you are cooking. One or two toothpick dips may be all you need.<br />
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The rest of the ingredients are pretty simple. Dice up a butternut squash. Toss it in olive oil then season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Bake at 425 for about 20 minutes. Sauce mushrooms in coconut oil. After they cook for a few minutes, add some chopped garlic and salt/pepper. Cook on medium high heat until they start to get nice and brown. I love cooking mushrooms in coconut oil. Once you do, you'll never go back to sautéing them in anything else. As for the black beans, I cooked up a pot of beans yesterday, set some aside for today, and then froze the rest in two cup increments. You could also just use a can of black beans, but make sure you rinse them first. Today I used spinach. However, spinach and arugula would be my first choice. Arugula is delicious and very flavorful. Avocado, slice or mash. Other days when we have made this dish, we have added cilantro instead of rosemary. We've also used corn tortillas that my hubby would fry up instead of flour tortillas. You can play with the ingredients and take out or add what you like. If you wanted to add meat, pulled pork would be great!<br />
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*Note: I can only speak to the safety of ingesting Young Living's Vitality line of essential oils*<br />
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<br />food loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04481273051822556379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4601757641277921330.post-12480911383600232062017-10-02T19:57:00.001-04:002017-10-02T19:57:52.919-04:00Turkey Shepherd's PieOctober 2, 2017<br />
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Yesterday we decided to have a big turkey dinner. Turkey, rosemary garlic mashed potatoes, our favorite side salad (browned ramen noodles, broccoli, romaine, green onions, with a red wine vinegar/oil soy sauce dressing), cranberry sauce, and fresh bread. Tonight, our daughter has a soccer game so I wanted to have dinner cooked and all set for us to heat up when we get home.<br />
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I wanted to do something with the leftover turkey. I froze a few meals worth but a 14 pound turkey makes a lot of leftovers! One of my favorite meals to make out of leftovers is shepherd's pie. It is a really forgiving recipe. I use the word "recipe" lightly because I don't really follow a recipe. I have made it with pulled pork, hamburger gravy, ham, vegetarian, and today I used turkey.<br />
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I started out by grabbing whatever veggies I had to use up. This part of the recipe is very forgiving too. Just use what you have. Today I used leeks, celery, carrots, sweet potatoes, peas, and corn. However, in the past I have also used turnips, rutabagas, onion, mushrooms, and green beans. Ok, back to today. I sautéed up the leeks, celery, carrots, and sweet potatoes in some olive oil. I seasoned the veggies with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. After letting them cook for a few minutes, I added in some homemade chicken broth. You just need enough broth for the veggies to simmer in. You don't want it too runny. I put a little broth into a bowl and added one drop of Young Living's Basil Vitality Essential Oil. I like to add the essential oil to something prior to adding it to the pan. It helps it to disburse throughout the dish better. Next, I added in some frozen peas and some corn. The corn was from the farmer's market. I like to stock up in the summer, parboil it, cut it off the cob and freeze it. It has so much more flavor than buying canned or frozen corn from the store. Next, add in some chopped up turkey. I let the veggies simmer for a few more minutes. Then it is time to layer your pan. I like to use a glass pie dish but really any baking pan will do. I added the mixture to the pie pan. I topped it with leftover rosemary garlic mashed potatoes, gravy, and cheddar cheese. I let it bake at 400 degrees for around 20 minutes. Just let it warm through and let the cheese get as melty/chewy as you like.<br />
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I had extra of the turkey/veggie layer so I kept that separate. My son isn't a fan of potatoes so I knew he would eat better if I gave him a plateful of just the turkey/veggies. By saying "isn't a fan" I mean, really, isn't a fan. He is 11 years old and only started liking even french fries maybe five years ago. I figured he would still pick around the sweet potatoes. Evidently, this shepherd's pie was awesome because BOTH kids had seconds and my boy even ate all the sweet potatoes!<br />
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*Note: I can only speak to the safety of ingesting Young Living's Vitality line of essential oils*<br />
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<br />food loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04481273051822556379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4601757641277921330.post-27611464514840748202017-09-30T20:12:00.000-04:002017-09-30T20:12:40.669-04:00Copycat Moe's Burrito BowlSeptember 30, 2017<br />
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One of my favorite meals (and one of my most requested recipes) is luau pulled pork. We make a slow cooker full of it and then freeze it in small containers. I love that you can freeze it and yet when it thaws out it still tastes just as good as the day it was made. We make so many different dishes with it: pulled pork over rice, pulled pork sandwiches, pork nachos, pork enchiladas, pork pizza. You name it, we probably make it with this recipe. Tonight I wanted to make a play off of a burrito bowl. Every time we go to Moe's or Chipotle, you can bet I'm ordering a burrito bowl! But first, you need to start with the pork.<br />
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To your slow cooker, add 1/2 cup of apple cider. You can use apple juice and I've even used water in a pinch. Although the apple does add flavor to the pork. Next, put in a pork roast. I think we usually buy the shoulder cut. I always buy as big a piece of pork as my slow cooker can handle. I'd guess around 13 pounds. Put it fat side up. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of kosher salt (regular salt is fine too) all over the top of the pork. Pour 2 tablespoons of liquid smoke all over the salted pork. Cover and cook on low. My slow cooker takes about 12 hours to get the pork real tender. I like to get it going in the evening, let it cook overnight, and then in the morning it is ready for me to pull. Once the pork is cooked, it will be very tender. You just need to shred it with a fork and pull out any remaining fat. Very easy, few ingredients, and you won't believe the flavor!<br />
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Ok, back to dinner. I threw some jasmine rice into my rice cooker. Once it was done, I wanted to add some flavor. I put probably about a teaspoon of olive oil into a bowl and added two drops of Young Living's Lime Vitality Essential Oil. I love all of the health benefits of using essential oils and cooking with them is an easy way to use them. Lime is great for your digestive, immune, and respiratory systems. I chopped up cilantro and then added the oil and the cilantro to the rice. I sautéed onion, green peppers, and mushrooms in coconut oil. I kept the seasonings simple and just used salt, pepper, and garlic powder.<br />
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Everyone got to build their own plate using whatever ingredients they preferred. I had a bed of romaine and spinach, sautéed onions/green peppers/mushrooms, cilantro lime rice, pulled pork, homemade salsa, sour cream, avocado, and queso.<br />
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Dinner was delicious! My daughter cleaned her plate before I was even half way done and she said "mmmm the rice was really good"! We all agreed this is definitely a make again dinner. If you have other ideas on how to use pulled pork, leave a comment below!<br />
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*Note: I can only speak to the safety of ingesting Young Living's Vitality line of essential oils*<br />
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<br />food loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04481273051822556379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4601757641277921330.post-26114859178926878132017-09-21T20:29:00.000-04:002017-09-21T20:30:19.032-04:00Ginger Chicken Stir FrySeptember 21, 2017<br />
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Tomorrow is one of my favorite days of the week: farmer's market day! This of course means one thing. I have to use up a bunch of veggies I still have so that I can buy more fresh deliciousness tomorrow. Ha! One of my favorite meals to make either the night before farmer's market day or the day before I go grocery shopping is stir fry. You don't need a recipe. You don't need any certain veggies. You don't need any certain meat. Use up what you got.<br />
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Tonight we had onion, leek, celery, green pepper (a little wilty but nobody will notice once it's cooked up), mushrooms, carrots, broccoli, and chicken. The leeks, green pepper, carrots, and chicken was all from last week's farmer's market. Fresh and local has so much flavor. I can't wait until next year and I get my garden back. There is nothing more satisfying than harvesting after you have worked in the garden all summer. Love it! Ok, back to dinner.... My hubby seasoned the chicken with salt, pepper, and ginger. Once everything was pretty much cooked he asked if I wanted to add in any essential oils. Hmmmm. Yep! I grabbed my bottle of Young Living's Ginger Vitality essential oil (which is safe to ingest) and just added two drops to a bowl of teriyaki sauce. You don't need to add much to get a really great burst of flavor. I looked into the health benefits of ginger. Of course, like every oil, there is a LIST of things that it can help support. It was so fitting when I saw that it can help with discomfort from teething (my hubby had to get a tooth fixed today at the dentist and he is feeling pretty tender) and good for muscle support (I went to the gym and had leg day after taking about four months off). We finished dinner off with just some steamed jasmine rice.<br />
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It's time to curl up on the couch and sip on something warm: Thieves tea. If you are wanting a boost to your immune system, join me! I played around with what I all put in it and finally came up with the perfect cup. I start with a splash of carmel coffee creamer, a squeeze of local honey, one drop of Lemon Vitality essential oil, one drop of Thieves Vitality essential oil, hot water, and two spoons of spiced chai tea mix. The creamer and honey help the oils to disperse throughout the tea. Yu-u-um.<br />
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*Note: I can only speak to the safety of ingesting Young Living's Vitality line of essential oils.*<br />
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<br />food loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04481273051822556379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4601757641277921330.post-15909241461763656592017-09-20T13:18:00.004-04:002017-09-20T13:18:44.465-04:00Cranberry Turkey Grilled SandwichSeptember 20, 2017<br />
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It's always a challenge for us to pass up eating at a restaurant when we have to run errands. The one tip I have for you is to try to recreate some of your restaurant favorites to make eating at home more appealing. We had to run a couple of errands today and came back home starving for lunch. I know if I had not planned on this special lunch, we would've given in and eaten elsewhere.<br />
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What did we make? There is a turkey sandwich at a restaurant back home that I absolutely LOVE. My parents visited us earlier this month and my mom recreated that sandwich for me. Now it is my turn to recreate my mom's recreation. Ha!<br />
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Another tip for cooking in general, is to make each ingredient shine on it's own and then once it all comes together, it will be amazing!<br />
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I started out with a cranberry swirl bread. Yum! It has so much more flavor than just using white bread, although you certainly could. I took some honey pecan flavored cream cheese and added some of Young Living's Rosemary Essential Oil from their Vitality line. It is safe to ingest and it is so awesome to be able to get the flavor of rosemary without having to feel like you are chewing on little sticks. Ha! I probably put a few tablespoons of cream cheese in a bowl. I dipped a toothpick into my bottle of essential oil and then swirled the toothpick into the cream cheese. I did two toothpick dips (clean toothpick each time!). Spread the cream cheese on your bread. Next up, cranberry sauce. Spread it like jelly onto the cream cheese. I only put the cranberry sauce on one slice of the bread. Then add some fresh spinach. So much more flavor than just lettuce. Layer on some oven roasted turkey breast and swiss cheese. Butter the outsides of the bread and toast them up like a grilled cheese sandwich until golden brown.<br />
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I hope you are ready for the deliciousness that is about to hit your face. Lunch at home has never tasted so good.<br />
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*Note: I can only vouch for the safety of ingesting Young Living's Vitality essential oils*<br />
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<br />food loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04481273051822556379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4601757641277921330.post-8984007746304904232017-09-19T21:29:00.001-04:002017-09-19T21:29:12.078-04:00The Essential Mini Meatloaf RecipeSeptember 19, 2017<br />
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There is nothing better than shopping local. I love going to the farmer's market and loading up. Veggies, fruit, eggs, beef, pork, jerky sticks, tomatoes for canning...you name it, I get it. I was able to use a few local ingredients in our dinner tonight. I used local beef and eggs for the mini meatloaves and yellow beans as a side. I was trying to figure out the other side item and the kids just wouldn't budge off of wanting macaroni and cheese. Oh well. Life is about balance.<br />
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I took our go to recipe for mini meatloaves and gave it a little updating. I wanted to fit in some extra health benefits by using some of Young Living's essential oils from their Vitality line (which is safe to ingest). I wanted to add in some support for our immune, respiratory, and digestive systems.<br />
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The four of us love mini meatloaves so I use a bigger recipe. This is one meal that we don't mind leftovers!<br />
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For the meatloaves:<br />
2 lbs ground beef<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
1/4 tsp pepper<br />
1/2 tsp onion powder<br />
2 eggs<br />
3 drops Basil Vitality Essential Oil<br />
3 drops Thyme Vitality Essential Oil<br />
1 drop Oregano Vitality Essential Oil<br />
1 cup panko bread crumbs<br />
1 cup tomato Sauce<br />
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For the sauce:<br />
1 cup tomato sauce<br />
2 Tbsp brown sugar<br />
parsley (about a palmful)<br />
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce<br />
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To top:<br />
french fried onions<br />
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Mix the Essential Oils with the egg and then added all of the meatloaf ingredients together. Shape into 8 loaves. Place them on a baking sheet covered in tinfoil and sprayed with a little non-stick spray. Bake in an oven preheated to 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Then pour the sauce over the meatloaves and top with some french fried onions. Bake for another 5 minutes.<br />
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My hubby and I both really liked the meatloaves with the essential oils. They give SO much flavor! However, it was a tad much for my daughter's tastes. I think next time I would try cutting back on the Thyme and Basil to 2 drops each. I'm telling you, a little goes a long way when you cook with essential oils but you just won't believe the difference in flavor from using dried herbs to essential oils. The flavor alone is reason enough to use them but once you think about the added benefits of supporting your body's health systems- it makes me want to convert all of our recipes! I have a few ideas already and I can't wait to figure out more!<br />
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*Note: I ONLY can speak for the safety of ingesting Young Living's Vitality oils*food loverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04481273051822556379noreply@blogger.com0