Bring Spring in January Centerpiece: Homemaker

(Disclamer: Pictures found through fotosearch).

Down comes the Holiday decorations, leaving an empty feeling and house. I like to look at the bulbs outside; they are poking their green heads out, as if to say,"Is it Spring yet?"

I have learned from their lead to take some of the green into my home. Try planting a bit of grass, chives, or bulbs into a glass vase (tall, narrow or wide), canning jar, baby food jar, or you get the picture! I tend to use a narrow vase for this project. The choices of what to use to bring spring into your home are endless. While your debating, take into account that seeds need potting soil, while bulbs do not. Bulbs can be put into just water, or decorative rocks and water. After they bloom and are no longer pretty, I plant them into the ground outside. As long as the bulb is alive, it will regrow every spring.
Bulbs.
Note: If you use wide, you will need more bulbs (I love tulips for beautiful simplicity or hyacinths for amazing smell) or seed (grasses or chives). The picture below is a great example of using grasses. I like to cut a blunt cut on the top, just one inch above the rim of the vase. I found the following image on: http://www.twincities.com/life/ci_14519118; great little article too.


I will use short and wide for tightly fitted roses, cutting them at 7-8 inches tall by 18-24 roses (depending on how wide and tall my vase is). Hydrangeas will also make a super easy decoration; I love the green variety because they shout SPRING to me!


Spring is just around the corner!

One week at a Time: Diet wrote out for you for one week, Eat Low Fat, the right fats, and healthy, Lose Weight without Starving.

(Disclamer: Picture found through fotosearch).

One week at a Time to get healthy and lose weight. Here is a week's menu that you can follow to begin a healthier lifestyle and lose any unwanted extra pounds.
Note: Any lettuce is fine except iceberg; when purchasing wholegrain items, look for highest fiber content & use fresh whole produce whenever possible. The key is you can eat smaller portion sizes, but do not skip a meal or snack… frequent eating speeds up the metabolism & keeps hunger/cheating at bay. Grn Tea, water, & favorite diet soda (soda in moderation) to drink during the day. Free food is eat as much grn leafy veggies (IE: like spinach or mustard grns) as you want… just do not add butter or calorie laden salad dressing. Can sub fruits for a different fruit. Just know that a banana is a filling fruit that has more calories than most fruit, but in moderation a good idea. And much less calories than “bad choices” would bring. Crustless Quiche: Chopped: 2 Cs eggplant, 1 C zucchini, 1 C red bell pepper, 1 C yellow onion, & 2 cloves garlic minced sautéed in 2 tsp EVOO (Olive Oil). Fold in Artichoke hearts from water packed jar. Add 1 egg, 1 C egg whts, 1 C skim milk, ½ tsp blk pepper, dried thyme, dried oregano, ½ C fresh basil, & ¾ C part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese. Spray pam in pan, cook 25 min’s. Sit/rest for 10 min’s. Po Boy: Vegetable Salad: combine halved 1 C cucumbers, grape tomatoes, ¼ C shredded carrots, ¼ C minced fresh parsley, diced ¼ C red onion & ¼ tsp blk pepper, garlic powder, ½ tsp EVOO, 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar. Bake or grill 2 3oz fav fish (grouper, cod, halibut, catfish, tilapia) 6-8 mins on ea side for grill, 12 mins total for baking (fish no longer translucent; don’t over cook). Goat Cheese Spread: 1 0z goat cheese, 3 Tbsp nonfat Greek-style yogurt, 1 tsp fresh lemon juice, 2 Tbsp fresh minced parsley, 3 Tbsp shredded carrots, 2 Tbsp diced cucumbers, ½ tsp blk pepper. Smear Goat Cheese Spread on one whole-grain baguette slice (long deli hotdog/ sub style bun), Place fish on other slice, Top fillet w 2 red onion slices, 2 tomato slices, lettuce leafs. Serve w Veg Salad.
Monday:
Breakfast: 1 serving Crustless Quiche; (save leftovers for later this wk). 1 whole grapefruit. Snack 1: 1 orange cranberry Bar (look for highest fiber/protein content & low fat). Lunch: 3oz tuna (water packed) mixed w 1 oz light swiss cheese, 2 Tbsp ea diced carrots, celery & red onion n 1 whole-wheat pita w Boston lettuce, 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar & 1 Tbsp nonfat Greek-style yogurt; 1 apple. Snack 2: 3 stalks celery w 2 Tbsp unsalted almond butter (like peanut butter, but better fat). Dinner : 1 ½ C’s cooked whole-wheat spaghetti w ½ C low-sodium tomato sauce, ¼ C fresh basil leaves, 10 halved grape tomatoes & ¼ C shredded part-skim mozzarella. 1 C chopped Boston lettuce w 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar & 1 tsp Olive Oil (EVOO).
Tuesday:
B: ½ C oatmeal w 1 (skin on) chopped apple, cinnamon to taste & 1 C low-fat milk. S 1: 2 sliced carrots w 3 Tbsp hummus. Lunch: Sandwich: (I only ate half of my sandwich bc to full) 3 oz sliced lean roast beef, ½ oz goat cheese, 3 strips roasted red bell pepper (or raw), 1 slice tomato, 1 slice red onion, & Boston lettuce on a whole-grain roll; 10 whole-wheat woven wheat crackers; 1 orange. S 2: 1/4C 1% cottage cheese w ½ C fresh chopped pineapple (save the remainder for later in wk). D: 1 serving Crustless Quiche; 2 Cs romaine lettuce w 1 Tbl unsalted sunflower seeds, ½ C ea chopped red bell peppers, whole grape tomatoes & chopped mushrooms w 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar & 1 tsp EVOO; 1 oz slice whole-wheat baguette.
Wed:
B: 1 ¼ C Post shredded Wheat Spoon Size cereal w ¼ C low-fat milk. 1 orange. S 1: 6 oz nonfat Greek style yogurt w 1 oz unsalted raw peanuts or almonds & ½ tsp crystal lite flavor powder (used to make drinks) or an over the counter powder like Stevia Powder. Veggie Burger Salad: 2 Cs Boston lettuce, 1 veggie patty, ½ C cooked blk beans, 4 thin slices chopped avocado, ¼ C corn, ½ C ea chopped grape tomatoes & mushrooms w 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar & 1 tsp EVOO; 1 C strawberries. S 2: 1 serving crustless Quiche. D: 4 oz baked port chop (prepare 8oz & save 4 oz for tomorrow). 1 C sauteed chopped zucchini (prepare whole zucchini & save extra for tomorrow). ¾ C steamed wild &/or brown rice.
Thurs:
B: ½ C oatmeal, ¼ C chopped pineapple, ½ sliced small banana & 5 broken walnuts w 1 C low-fat milk. Mini Yogurt Parfait: (8oz nonfat Greek-style yogurt w ½ sliced banana & ¼ C Shredded Wheat Spoon Size cereal). L: Spinach Salad: 2 Cs spinach leaves, 4 oz sliced baked pork chop leftovers, ½ C sauteed zucchini leftovers, ½ C chopped tomato w 1 ½ Tbl balsamic vinegar & 1 tsp EVOO; 1 C strawberries. S 2: 10 whole wheat woven crackers. D: 1 serving fish Po Boy & Vegetable Salad.
Fri:
B: 1 ½ oz toasted whole wheat baguette (sliced) w 2 Tbsp unsalted almond butter & 10 unsweetened raisins. S 1: 1 apple & 1 oz unsalted sunflower seeds. L: 1 serving Cajun PoBoy & Veggie salad (leftovers). 1 C chopped pineapple. S 2: 3 stalks celery & 1 oz goat cheese. D: 4 oz baked chicken; ¼ C wild rice; Vegetable Medley: 1 C steamed spinach w ¼ tsp minced garlic, ¾ C steamed artichokes & ½ C sautéed mushrooms.
Sat:
B: Open Faced Breakfast Sandwich: 1 toasted whole wheat English muffin topped w 4 scrambled egg whts, 4 steamed asparagus spears, 1 oz melted light Swiss cheese & 1 tsp mustard. S 1: 1 oz whole wheat baguette w 3 tsp hummus. L: Salad: 2 C romaine lettuce, 3 oz lean roast beef, 1 oz goat cheese, ½ C ea chopped red bell pepper, tomato, & cucumber w 2 Tbl balsamic vinegar & 1 tsp EVOO; 1 banana. S 2: 1 ½ C chopped pineapple & 8 unsalted walnuts or almonds. D: 5 oz baked fish w ½ squeezed lemon. 1 C eggplant sautéed in ½ tsp of EVOO. ¾ C quinoa.
Sun:
B: Strawberry Mint Smoothie: Blend 1 C unsweetened light soy milk, ¼ C chocolate protein powder, 1 C frozen strawberries, 10 fresh mint leaves & 4 ice cubes. S !: 1 sliced roasted red bell pepper w 1 oz goat cheese. L: Veggie Burger patty w 1 oz goat cheese, slice of tomato, red onion & Boston lettuce leaf on a whole grain roll. 1 C cooked edamame. 1 apple. S 2: ½ C raspberries, 1 low-fat string cheese & 10 whole wheat woven crackers. D: Mexican Salad: 2C romaine lettuce, 4 oz baked chicken (season w ½ tsp cumin), ¼ C shredded reduced fat jalapeno cheese, ½ C ea low sodium salsa, cooked blk beans, chopped tomatoes & chopped cucumbers, 2 thin slices avocado w 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar & 1 tsp EVOO.

Clean your House w household items found in your kitchen: Homemaker on a budget, save money on cleaning supplies, and be earth friendly and green at the same time.

All-Purpose Cleaner
"Antibacterial" cleaners and soaps have become all the rage, yet their active ingredients have been linked to thyroid damage, water pollution and the emergence of drug-resistant super-bugs like MRSA. Instead, kill germs with an all-purpose vinegar solution: Combine nine parts water with one part white vinegar in a spray bottle.

For those extra germy messes, such as a counter-top that's been exposed to raw meat, squirt straight white vinegar on the surface, and follow with a squirt of hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol to knock out those germs.

Carpet Cleaner
It seems that there's always some spot that finds its way into our carpets. Try this remedy to remove them:

Mix equal parts white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Spray directly on stain, let sit for several minutes, and clean with a brush or sponge using warm soapy water. For heavy duty jobs, mix 1/4 cup each of salt, borax and vinegar. Rub paste into carpet and leave for a few hours. Vacuum, then clean as above.

Air Freshener
Part of getting your home clean is also knocking out nasty odors in the air. So try this homemade air freshener on for size.

To make a basic air freshener, squeeze juice from a fresh lemon into a cereal bowl half filled with baking soda, add 5 drops each of wild orange and lemon essential oil. Leave the dish uncovered. *Lemon also kills mold, so when you're done squeezing out that lemon juice, grind up the lemon leftovers in the garbage disposal to get rid of food molds and residue.

Furniture Polish
No need to invest money into those expensive, over-marketed furniture polishes. Try this instead:

Varnished wood: Add a few drops of lemon essential oil into 1/2 cup of warm water. Mix well and spray onto a soft, slightly damp cotton cloth. Wipe furniture with the cloth, then wipe clean with a soft, dry cotton cloth.

Unvarnished wood: Mix two teaspoons each of olive oil and lemon juice and apply a small amount to a soft cotton cloth. Wring the cloth to spread the mixture further into the material and apply to the furniture using wide strokes to distribute the oil evenly.

Magic Degreaser
If you have grease spots that the All-Purpose Cleaner can't tackle, try this:

Combine a pinch of washing soda, a couple drops of castile soap and two tablespoons of vinegar into two cups of boiling water.

Oven Cleaner
If you've ever scrubbed out your oven, you know that those chemical oven cleaners are a bit tough on your lungs. Try this instead:

Mix 2 cups of hot water, 1 tablespoon of natural dish liquid, 9 drops of wild orange essential oil and 1 teaspoon of borax in a spray bottle. Spray on the designated mess, let sit for 20 minutes and wipe off with a clean cloth. For handling an extra-greasy mess, wipe off as much loose goop as possible first with crumpled newspaper, then use the spray.

Plant Cleaner
Want to get down to the details of cleaning? If you're a plant lover, chances are your indoor plants get covered with dust just as your furniture does. As strange as it sounds, polish your leaves with a soft rag dipped in mayonnaise. Don't ask me why, but for some reason this has a magical way of leaving plants sparkling clean without any leftover smell (or damage to the foliage).

Rust Remover
Rust residue can be a tough one to fight, but try this remedy next time you're facing a seemingly losing battle:

Sprinkle a little salt on the rust, squeeze a lime over the salt until it is well soaked. Leave the mixture on for 2 to 3 hours. Use the leftover lime rind to scrub at the residue.

Spot & Scuff Eraser
Marks on walls and painted surfaces are a common household occurrence. Simply clean ink spots, pencil, crayon or marker spots from painted surfaces with baking soda applied to a damp sponge. Rub gently, then wipe and rinse with water.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Harsh toilet cleaners no more! Opt for a more lung-friendly version.

Mix 1/4 cup of baking soda and 1 cup of vinegar. Then pour them into the toilet basin and let set for a few minutes. Scrub with a toilet brush and rinse.

Tub & Tile Cleaner
Apparently, the popular cleanser Comet contains 146 air contaminants, including seven chemicals linked to cancer, two chemicals linked to reproductive damage, and two chemicals that interfere with hormones, according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG). So it might be best to err on the safe side and make your own scrubbing paste.

5 to 10 drops of pure essential oil of tea tree oil and rosemary or other favorite fragrant oil.

Place 1/2 cup of baking soda in a bowl and slowly pour in liquid soap, stirring until it looks like cake frosting. Add optional essential oils, like 5 to 10 drops of pure essential lavender or rosemary oil. Scoop onto a sponge, scrub and rinse. You can also try cutting a lemon in half and using that as a scrubber.

Wallpaper Remover
It may not be a daily cleaning task, but it's a common problem for many, so try this remedy the next time you need to remove some stubborn wallpaper:

Mix equal parts of white vinegar and hot water, apply with a sponge over the old wallpaper to soften the adhesive, then gently pull paper from the loose corners.

Window Cleaner
We all have them and thus likely go through gallons of store-bought window cleaner each year. Make your own solution to save some pennies in 2011:

Combine ¼ cup vinegar, ½ teaspoon natural liquid soap. 9 drops of lemon essential oil and 2 cups water in a spray bottle and shake to blend. Spray on the glass, working in small sections so that the solution doesn't have time to dry before you're able to wipe it clean.

Scrub as needed with the rough side of a kitchen sponge, and squeegee off. Use a cotton cleaning cloth to dry off the blade of the squeegee between swipes and to wipe up any liquid that puddles at the bottom of the window.

For a granite counter-top job, take the window cleaner you currently have and extend its contents to last longer, by adding rubbing alcohol, making a 50/50 mix. It will sterilize your counter and the alcohol evaporates quickly, leaving no streaks.

The Mourning Process: Psychology for widows, those who have experienced loss (widows / Grief), and for family and friends to educate on how to help a loved one suffering from grief.

There has been controversy over the mourning process, and for myself and others who have found societies misconceptions and ignorance hurtful. With the intent to educate, it is the hope that some people will be enlightened. The validity of the following information is demonstrated in numerous books and authors stating the same material. A library of current books and authors, I can offer as references if need be.
Teach Others About Grief and Mourning. Teach your friends how they can support you. Teach your children about mourning and help them mourn the death of their father. Provide them with mourning opportunities and activities. Model your own grief and mourning openly & honestly. Whatever you do, don’t hide your grief. This will teach them to hide their feelings too. Remember that each person’s grief is unique. Your experiences will not be shared or appreciated by everyone.
Perhaps the most compassionate thing you can do for yourself at this difficult time is to reach out for help from others. Mourning, by definition, means “shared social response to loss” Don’t try to do this alone, it can’t be done! Think of grieving as the hardest work you have ever done. Sharing your pain with others won’t make it disappear, but it will, over time, make it more bearable.
Grief is not an orderly progression towards healing. Usually grief hurts more before it hurts less. Be compassionate with yourself as you experience your own unique journey. Ignore, usually well-intended advice; don’t allow yourself or anyone else to compartmentalize your grief. Acknowledge the reality of death, embrace the pain of the loss, remember the spouse who died, develop a new self-identity, search for meaning, receive ongoing support from others. They live on, in us through memory. Actively remember your spouse and commemorate the life that was lived. Never let anyone take your memories away in a misguided attempt to save you. It is good for you to display photos of your husband. It’s good for you to talk about your partner’s life and death. It’s good for you to hold onto objects that belonged to your spouse. Remembering the past makes hoping for the future possible. E.M. Forster wrote, “Unless we remember we cannot understand.” And as Kierkegaard noted, “Life is lived forward but understood backward.” We need the love and understanding of others if we are to heal. Acknowledging your need for support is not a weakness, it is strength. Grief is a process, not an event, and you will need the continued support of your friends and family for weeks, months and years.
Anniversaries of the death, life events, birthdays can be especially hard when you are in grief. Plan ahead; perhaps take the day off work, on the anniversary of the death. Your wedding anniversary may be a particularly difficult day for you and in the years to come. You may want to devote an hour or two of each anniversary to reminiscing. A memorial will help you to remember the love you shared and keep your spouse’s memory alive. Make a plan on what you will do on that day. Our culture doesn’t always understand the value of ceremony. Don’t expect that everyone around you will understand your desire to make use of ritual. However, don’t allow their lack of understanding to persuade you to for-go ceremonies both at the time of the death and month’s and years into the future. There is no “correct” answer; you must simply decide what feels right for you. If others find fault with your decision about what to do with your grief, pay them no attention. This is your business and yours alone.
Sometimes you’ll hear about mourners “recovering” from grief. Similar terms you’ll hear are “get over it” or “let it go” and “get on with it”. These terms are damaging because it implies that grief is an illness that must be cured. It also connotes a return to the way things were before the death. Mourners don’t recover from grief. We become “reconciled” to it. We learn to live with it and are forever changed by it. Our lives can potentially be deeper and more meaningful after the death of someone loved. Reconciliation takes time. You may not become truly reconciled to your loss for several years and even then will have “griefbursts” forever. You know that your beginning to reconcile your grief when it’s no longer the first thing you think of each morning. When you start to  have some energy again. When your eating and sleeping well. When you can laugh and have fun once more. When you begin to  make plans for the future. If you actively mourn this death, in time your grief will melt into who “I am—a happy, loving person who has experienced loss.”
Growth means utilizing our potentials. The encounter of grief reawakens us to the importance of utilizing our potentials—our capacities to mourn our losses openly and without shame, to be interpersonally effective in our relationships with others, and to continue to discover fulfillment in life, living and loving.

Pork Fennel Meatballs: Easy, quick Recipe that is a great and fast crowd pleasing appetizer.

This time of year folks are looking for a great appetizer that can be served for New Year’s Parties, and for the football games. This Pork Meatball w a fennel touch will do the trick. It also is a great use of fennel. I have been asked frequently about how to best use fennel, and this recipe is a great starter.

Ingredients:

·  1 pound lean ground pork

·  3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

·  2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

·  2 teaspoons toasted fennel seeds

·  1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

·  1 tablespoon vegetable oil

·  Braise:

·  2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced

·  1 small onion, finely sliced

·  1/2 fennel bulb, trimmed and finely shaved

·  1/2 cup dry white wine

·  1 teaspoons ground fennel

·  1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

·  Crusty baguette, sliced on the bias to serve

Directions:

Combine the pork, garlic, and fennel seeds in a large bowl and season with salt and red pepper flakes. Mix well then form into approximately 14 2-inch round meatballs. Set on a tray in the fridge to firm up while you prepare the braising sauce.

In a large Dutch oven heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add garlic, onion and fennel. Cook until onions and fennel are very tender and lightly caramelized - about 10-12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper then add ground fennel seeds. Deglaze with white wine and pour in tomatoes. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer, covered for 15 minutes.

Set a large saute pan over high heat and add vegetable oil. When very hot, brown meatballs all over, about 2-3 minutes per side. Use a slotted spoon to transfer meatballs to the Dutch oven and nestle them in sauce. Cover slightly with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes until very tender. Serve with toasted baguette points.