Welcome 2014!?

Roughly a year ago, I sat here and typed numerous sentences about my goals for 2013... most of them were not accomplished. I completed another half marathon, but would really like to ramp it up this year and set a real goal. I will be doing two half marathons this year and will be setting a new time goal for my second one. I haven't quite decided what that will be yet. I will think about it as the year goes on. I will also be setting a goal of 1014 miles in 2014.

Regarding healthy eating... We completely failed at it this year. Ok, that may have been a bit of an exaggeration, but really, we could have done a lot better. I also shouldn't use the word "failed". A better way to phrase it may be to say that there were many days where we could have improved on the nutritional value of our meals. It's odd; I spend so much time reading about nutrition and the impact of food on the human body, but the reality of it is that making choices is tough. I know what the right choices are but making them is a whole other story.

Finally, regarding scrapbooking and crafting... Although it may seem insignificant to some, crafting is a big part of my life. It brings me enjoyment, both through the actual process of scrapbooking or crafting and later by being able to look through our pictures in completed scrapbooks and craft projects. It is important to do what we love. Although when life gets busy, this is one of those things that does not get done, I would like to make it a point this year to do it. It brings me great pleasure and that in and of itself is worth making time for.

It's a good thing that being a regular blogger was not a goal of mine either. Obviously that would not have worked out :)

Welcome 2013!

Whenever a new year rolls around, we naturally start thinking about our goals for the coming 12 months. We all have things that we have yet to accomplish and things that we would like to do. For this year, I have three goals in mind. My first goal this year is to scrapbook a picture a day. I'm one of those sentimental people who likes to sit around and look at pictures of places we've been, things we've done, fun times we've had. So for me that is something important. If you want to read more about that, you can see this post here on my other blog:
www.blog.littlepeaceofmyheart.com

My second goal is to run 1013 miles in 2013. Up until last year I wasn't a runner. Then last year I started running and was able to complete a half marathon in November. So 1013 miles is kind of a big deal for me. I like these goals. At the end of the year there will be no question as to whether or not I've accomplished them. I'm the kind of person who likes to check things off my list and these goals allow me to do that.

My third goal is not so simple. I want to eat healthier food. We don't have the worst diets on the planet. For the most part we make pretty good choices. But for this year I want to make more of an effort and I really want it to be a goal. So how do we quantify that? At the end of the year how do I know whether I accomplished my goal? Being healthy means different things to everyone. For some people it's about losing or gaining weight, for others it's about warding off disease. It could even be about optimizing your body to perform certain tasks like running, playing basketball, swimming or whatever your sport of choice is. For me it's probably some combination of all those things to a certain extent. I'd like to maintain my weight, be in good shape so I can continue to run, and give my body a good shot at living a fairly long life, free of chronic diseases. We'll see how it goes. I'll update you with our progress and talk about some of the things I believe will help me to reach these goals in future posts.

Housework

Housework. Not a word that many think fondly of. Myself included, of course. While the fact that housework takes away from one of my all-time favorite activities, crafting, is bad enough, the thought of filling our home with all sorts of chemicals in the name of "cleanliness" is an even tougher pill to swallow. So, I went in search of some potentially less toxic substitutes to try.

I Pinned a bunch of different homemade and seemingly safer cleaners onto my Pinterest board. After much contemplation, I decided to start by making some laundry detergent. When I looked at the ingredients, the recipe looks like it made what would equate to years worth of laundry detergent since it is only my husband and myself in our home. After looking around a bit more, I noticed that the dishwasher detergent recipe also called for full boxes of Borax and washing soda so I decided to split them up and make a half recipe of both the laundry and dishwasher detergents. Here are the recipes that I followed:

Laundry detergent:
http://beingcreativetokeepmysanity.blogspot.com/2010/11/homemade-laundry-soap.html

Dishwasher detergent:
http://beingcreativetokeepmysanity.blogspot.com/2011/01/dishwasher-detergent.html

Using these wonderful recipes, I made 2 smaller batches and this is what it looks like:

Laundry detergent:

1/2 of 4 lb 12 oz box Borax
1/2 of 4 lb box Arm & Hammer Baking Soda
1/2 box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda 55 oz
1 bar of Zote (grate the bar with a cheese grater - this is the most difficult part of the process but really isn't all that hard)
1 small container of Oxy Clean or store brand Oxy Clean (the author said this was optional but I decided to throw it in anyway)

I just put all this stuff into a container with tight fitting lid, shook it all up and voila - laundry detergent! We have a front loading washer so I just use a tablespoon of the powder and add it directly into the washing basin - not the detergent holder. It really does work great!

Here is what the laundry soap mixture looks like:

Dishwasher detergent:

1/2 of 4 lb 12 oz box Borax
1/2 box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda 55 oz
1/2 c. citric acid
1-1/2 cups Epsom Salt
LemiShine rinse aid (the author of the recipe says that the recipe does not work well without this)

Once again, I just dumped all of these ingredients into a container with a tight fitting lid, shook it up and had detergent. A word of caution -  this powder will clump up - I threw in a few of those desiccant packets that you normally throw away and I have not had any clumping.

I use a tablespoon of powder for a load of dishes and while the Lemishine works great, I have also had success with just adding about 1/4 cup of white vinegar to the bottom of the machine. If you buy the bottle of vinegar from Costco, this is a really great deal for a rinse aid. I think it depends on the water in your area though.

All of these items are very inexpensive (I made both recipes for $13 and change) and they work great! I've used both items several times and it looks like they will last us for quite a while.

Can't wait for spring...

I am not a huge fan of cold weather. I much prefer shorts and dresses to long pants and jackets. A week ago, I decided that it was time to start my garden for the year, indoors of course. So we went to the hardware store, picked up a plant starter kit and some seeds, and I started my garden. This is what it looks like after one week:

 

The sight of these little suckers growing makes me happy - means warmer weather is on the way!

I am by no means an expert at caring for plants of any sort. I have sent more than my fair share of plants to an early grave. But, practice makes anything better, right? I think I'm slowly getting the hang of it. Last year I actually made pesto using basil that I had grown. This was a huge accomplishment for me. I am optimistic for this year's garden. Hopefully in a few months I will have basil, green onions, thyme, bell peppers, cilantro, kohlrabi & parsley.

I am especially fond of keeping herbs in my garden. I find that if I buy herbs in the store, I never really need the amount in one whole package. I like that I am able to go into the backyard and clip the exact amount that I need for my dish. I am keeping my fingers crossed that these little sprouts will soon be happy, healthy and ready for picking.

A yummy treat

We love granola bars! After all, what's not to like? They're tasty, portable and you can make them with whatever flavors you like. Here is my recipe for granola bars. They have less sugar and fat than traditional recipes but still hold together well and taste good too! The video that follows shows how to make the granola bars and then a fun and quick gift wrapping idea if you want to brighten someone's day with a few bars. :)

Granola Bars

3 c. old fashioned oats
1 c. sliced almonds
1/2 c. ground flax seeds
1/2 c. honey
3 tbls. brown sugar
1-1/2 tbls. unsalted butter
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1-1/2 tbls. light flavored olive oil or canola oil
1/2 c. dried fruit (I use cranberries, cherries and blueberries but whatever you like will work)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x13" baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Toast oats, almonds and flax on a sheet pan for 12-15 minutes, stirring halfway through until lightly browned. Reduce temperature to 300 degrees.

In a microwave safe bowl, combine honey, brown sugar, butter and salt. Heat in microwave until combined (my microwave takes about 2 minutes).

Place the oat mixture in a large bowl and add the honey mixture. Mix until incorporated. Add dried fruit and gently mix again. Pour the granola mixture into the parchment-lined baking pan. Using wet fingers, press firmly into the pan until evenly distributed.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until light, golden brown. Allow to cool for 2-3 hours then cut into 16 bars. Wrap each bar in waxed paper and store in a ziploc bag.

We adapt...

Peaches are somewhat foreign to me. I mean, I've eaten peaches (always peeled since I don't like furry-skinned fruits) but never really cooked anything with them. Where I come from, peaches do not grow abundantly and for me, were more of an afterthought while browsing the fruit aisle in the grocery store.

Now, we live in middle Tennessee. In the middle of summer, peaches are everywhere. Georgia and Alabama seem to be the main providers of those furry little fruits and I have witnessed heated debate over where the best ones come from. Last Friday, my local Whole Foods Market had a one day sale on peaches so I decided to stock up. They were clearly labeled as Georgia peaches so I suppose the fans of the Alabama ones may have had to go elsewhere. In any case, they were firm and smelled good so I was inspired to try out a new dish.

Although this dish was for breakfast on Sunday, the process began on Saturday night since it's best if the oats soak overnight. This dish is not too sweet since I try to reduce the amount of added sweeteners that I use in my cooking but the maple syrup adds just enough sweetness and a nice flavor. A half-teaspoon of cinnamon would be nice addition, if you are not feeding a type B. I omit the cinnamon for my hubby but it is still delicious without it. Other than the cinnamon, the ingredients in this dish make it suitable for any type. If you are only feeding types B or AB you can use cow milk in place of the soy milk.

Peach Oatmeal Bake

1-3/4 c. vanilla soy milk (or milk)

1 tbs. pure vanilla extract

2 eggs

1/4 c. pure maple syrup

1/4  tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking powder

2-1/2 c. old fashioned oats

2 medium peaches, coarsely chopped (about 1-1/2 cups) I peeled mine but peeling is optional

2-1/2 c. old fashioned oats

Mix together soy milk, vanilla, eggs, and maple syrup until well combined. Add salt, baking powder and oats, be sure to mix this well. Gently stir in peaches. Pour the mixture into an 8x8" baking dish. Let set overnight in the refrigerator.

The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Let the dish sit out while the oven preheats. When the oven is ready, bake for 40 minutes, until golden brown and puffy. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with additional soy milk to moisten.

Lots of love for fresh basil

I got this yummy fresh basil from the awesome Franklin Farmers Market!

So, I went with the old standby - pesto! Since we are on the blood type diet, we do not eat tomatoes. So, pesto is great since we can still make yummy pastas and pizzas without the tomatoes! I substitute walnuts for pine nuts for my type B hubby.

4 c. fresh basil leaves

1/2 c. toasted walnuts
1 clove garlic
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste

Blend all ingredients in the food processor and you have pesto!

The first night I mixed some pesto with rice pasta and added some peas for a quick dinner. I added some Parmesan cheese to my hubby's pasta since he is allowed to eat most dairy products but mine was yummy even without the cheese.

Of course we always have leftover pesto. So the next night, we had open-faced veggie sandwiches. We are both allowed to eat mozzarella cheese so this one works out well for both of us.

I toasted slices of homemade spelt bread, spread on some pesto-bean spread (recipe to follow at a later date) added some sauteed mushrooms and grilled zucchini, and topped with mozzarella cheese. Place the sandwiches under the broiler for a few minutes and you have dinner.