Healthy Vegetarian Chili

Ok - first of all, I know it's been a while since I've posted - sorry, I've been so busy lately! Time is FLYING!

Here is the best chili recipe I've ever had!

1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup textured vegetable protein (can be found on baking isle or left out)
1 onion, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup water or vegetable stock
1 can kidney beans
1 can white beans (or mixed beans if you like)
2 cans diced tomatoes, sliced juice included (or 3 large fresh tomatoes, diced with 1 cup water & 3 Tablespoons tomato paste)
1 cup corn (fresh, frozen or canned with no salt added)
1 jalapeno pepper, sliced (optional)
2 teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
salt
pepper
red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1. Pour the boiling water over the TVP and let stand until softened.

2. Braise the onion, bell peppers and garlic in water until onion is clear, then add remaining ingredients, including TVP.

3. Simmer for at least 30 minutes.

FYI - you can just use whatever peppers you have on hand, that's what I do, it tastes just as good too.

Also, anything that notes optional in the ingredients I DID include in my recipe.

You will love it!

Sell Used

I've already mentioned the bonuses of buying used items. But how about selling them too?

I've sold several items on craigslist for a good dollar. I like it better than ebay because I don't have to worry about shipping anything. And once it's out of my hands, I don't have to worry about it anymore.

If you have anything you aren't using and don't plan on using, try consigning or selling it. Just make sure that you won't need it later!

Check and Check Again

When you get your bill for any services you are receiving, check it and then, check it again for inaccuracies. I can't tell you the amount of extra charges I've received on many bills that have no right being there.

The companies who you subscribe to for your services are made up of humans who are bound to make errors at some point, and others are downright shady, so make sure you aren't paying for someone else's silly mistakes.

It takes just a minute or two and it is well worth the time.

Buy Used

Instead of looking for a brand new item, why not buy used?

As soon as you buy an item the shelf price depreciates anyway. Check out Craigslist and Ebay or other action sites (there's plenty of them!) and see if the item you want is available there. Just be a cautious buyer.

Need to Paint?

Home Depot is offering a $5 rebate on 1 gallon cans of Behr paint until 9/1/08.

Check out their website for the rebate form.

Happy Painting!

Summer Penne Pasta

We had this yesterday for dinner - I just threw what I had in the fridge together and it was especially delicious!

2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
4-6 oz mushrooms, sliced
2 medium zucchini, finely chopped
2 medium yellow squash, finely chopped
8-10 cloves garlic, finely chopped
8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tablespoons Italian seasonings
1 lb whole wheat or whole grain penne pasta
salt & pepper to taste
grated Parmesan cheese to taste
crushed red pepper (optional)

1. Follow package directions on cooking pasta.

2. Meanwhile, heat up nonstick skillet to medium heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add carrots, onion, mushrooms, zucchini, and squash, salt & pepper the vegetables and cook until firm-tender.

3. In a small skillet heat olive oil up, add garlic and Italian seasonings. At this time you may add the crushed red pepper if you want to spice it up. Saute on low-medium heat until garlic is soft. Do not overcook the garlic or it will be bitter!

4. Mix all ingredients together in large bowl & top with grated Parmesan cheese & serve.

Learning About Nutrition

So I was lurking around Amazon's website checking out their books on nutrition. I want to eat right, be fit, lose weight, do it the healthy way - not the fad diet way - you know the kind - lose 10 lbs quick, but gain 15 lbs even faster when you stop. Yup, I've done that before.

And along the way, I really want to be a healthy person. I have fears that one day I won't be around to see my kid's grow because of my genealogy. There are many diseases/health issues that run rampant in my family, and if I can help it, I really don't want any of them!

I came across this book called "The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted, and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long Term Health" By T. Colin Campbell. Someone had suggested it was a good read a while back, and since I came across it I checked out the reviews. Great reviews. So when I had the cash, I got the book (through Mr. Rebates of course!)

The book is very scientific, so if you choose to read it, do it when you are fully awake. But thankfully, the author puts it in very easy to understand terms for those of us who are not scientists. It basically goes over a century's worth of scientific studies and combines them along with studies done personally by this author and many of his colleagues.

When I decided to buy the book to read all I knew was it was a book about nutrition. I had no idea that the gist of the book is: whole foods and plant-based proteins good. Animal products not so good. Actually animal products bad, very bad. In fact, all of the studies compiled in this book (there are references to each and every tidbit of information in this book for you to verify for yourself) point to a plant based diet as more beneficial for combating and even reversing diseases and illnesses such as but not limited to Breast Cancer, Alzheimer's, Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, Multiple Sclerosis, Heart Disease and Bowel Cancers.

The author does not tell you that you must adopt a vegetarian or vegan diet, but instead he lets the research and studies point to what they will and simply points out the facts shown through the studies that a diet with 20% or more animal products in it is very likely to accelerate and promote diseases listed above and many more. And shows that the more beneath the 20% margin of a daily calorie intake of animal protein was, the healthier each test study subject was. Much healthier in fact.

To each his own, really. However, when I see several decades worth of studies from hundreds of different references not from just one or two, I have tendency to believe it is entirely possible that it is true.

This book reinforced my decision to become a vegetarian. But even if that is something that you feel is totally off limits for you, I still encourage you to look into this book, especially if you or someone you know has health problems. I wish I would have had this in my hands about 9 years ago, maybe it could have helped my Dad.

Shop Around for Gas

Shop around for gas prices before you buy without even leaving your house.

Visit Gas Buddy and type in your zip code. Then it'll show you the cheapest gas in your area.

This site runs because people are kind enough to enter in a bit of information when they see cheap gas. So if you see some cheap gas too, try to be as kind.

Cheese Tortellini Soup

This is a feel-good on a crappy day soup. It always makes me feel better if I'm sick or if it's wet & rainy outside.

Anyone I give it to loves it and asks for the recipe and then they make their own modifications to make it right for them.

Tortellini Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 zucchini, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 large red onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 yellow squash chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
4 tablespoons (or more to taste) of Better Than Bullion Low Sodium Vegetable Paste (You can use whichever you prefer, this is my preference, but before I was a veggie I used chicken stock)
1 can red kidney beans, rinsed & drained
1 large package refrigerated tortellini
Shredded Parmesan Cheese


1. Heat oil in large soup pot over medium heat. Add zucchini, carrots, onion, garlic, squash and celery. Saute until vegetables are tender but still crunchy.
2. Add water to the pot until it is about 3 inches from the top. Turn heat up and bring to a boil.
3. Add the bullion paste once the water is boiling and stir. Taste to ensure flavor is there, add more if necessary.
4. Add the kidney beans & the tortellini. Cook tortellini in the soup according to time on package directions.
5. Serve with shredded Parmesan cheese over the top.

Eat and then eat some more!

Maximize Fuel Economy

1. Make sure your tires are inflated properly. Tires that are under inflated can reduce your car's fuel economy by over 2%

2. Get a tune-up! An engine properly tuned can increase your MPG by over 4%

3. Don't go over the speed limit! The faster you go, the lower fuel economy you get. When you go anywhere over 55 MPH you can lose over 30% fuel economy.

4. Use hills to your advantage, don't hit the gas pedal going down - just let gravity take over. It's FREE gas mileage!

5. When you are on the expressway, hit the cruise button.

6. Don't open your windows for fresh air when on the expressway, it will minimize your fuel economy by causing drag. Use your a/c instead.

7. Don't hang out in your car with it idling. If you are stopping for more than a minute shut the car off, unless you are stopped at a traffic light or in traffic at all for that matter!

Stick to the List

If you are on your way to the store, here are a few good tips:

Plan ahead first - check out what's on sale and plan your meals around the sale items and what you already have at home so that you don't spend extra $$ on ingredients.

Make your list and stick to it. Get what you need and don't deviate. If you don't need to go down the ice cream isle - DON'T!

Here's A Tip

When you spend 16 hours at the hospital waiting for your first nephew to come - you should go to sleep when you get home instead of posting on your blog!

Goodnight.

A New Addition

I've become an Auntie!

Braxton Benjamin Olmstead
Born 8/23/08 at 4:09 p.m.
7lbs 1oz
20 inches long

The mommy & daddy are doing great!

If you want pictures e-mail me & I will try to send them out when I can...

Need Clothes for Your Kids?

Try the local resale or consignment shop. Growing up, the resale shop by me only had clothes that I considered 'old people-ish', and no, not vintage, cause vintage is cool.

Anyway, now consignment shops are great if you can find the right ones. There are all sorts of choices for kids now-a-days, even at resale/consignment shop. I find all sorts of brand named clothing for my kids and pay a fraction of the price for them.

Keep in mind that your brand named stores can have great deals too. We just hit Children's Place today & I got $260-some worth of clothes for my kids for the next 3 years for $70. Nothing was over $2.99 - That was a shoppers-high!

Happy Shopping!

Need more tips

Can't get enough tips for saving $$$? Pick up a copy of the Tightwad Gazette from your local library. It is a compilation of money saving newsletters with tons of tips. Some of the tips are a little outdated, but for the most part it is very helpful and assists you in thinking on your toes if you need some creative ways to save.

Save on Printer Ink

Visit 123inkjets and place your ink order through them. They use refurbished cartridges. I've ordered from them twice now and have never had a problem with my cartridges. And they are CHEAP! And when I say CHEAP, I mean

CHEAP

It's even worth it to purchase them if you can't get free shipping because they are so cost effective.

To sweeten the deal even more, use Mr. Rebates and get cash back on your purchase. Don't forget to mark me as your referral!

Need to Decorate?

Check out flea markets and garage sales. Even if you are looking for a particular item, you may be pleasantly surprised because it just might be there!

More Cooking With Vinegar Tips

If you sometimes have a problem with your pasta sticking, try dropping a dab of vinegar in the boiling water before the pasta goes in.

When boiling vegetables add 1-2 teaspoons of vinegar to the water to help the vegetables retain their beautiful color.

Making a fruit salad? Add a dash of vinegar, preferably balsamic, to the fruit to tang it up. (Don't add the vinegar unless you are eating it right away!)

My favorite vinegar tip? drizzle it over fresh french fries! MMMMMMMmmm....tasty.

Ethiopian Chickpea Wat

All I can say is: mmmmmmm...so yes, this was a great dish.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large red onion (I used a Spanish onion), finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled & finely chopped
1 potato, peeled & chopped
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1 1/2 cups water or broth
1 cup frozen peas (I omitted b/c I was being lazy)

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat, add the onions and cook about 5 minutes or until soft. Add the carrots and potato and cook about 10 minutes.
2. Remove the cover and stir in cayenne, paprika, ginger, salt, pepper, cumin, cardamom and tomato paste. Add chickpeas and water/broth and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered until vegetables are tender and flavor is fully developed (approximately 30 minutes) adding water as needed. Stir in the peas, let them warm & then serve.

I pureed this dish and ate with the Injera bread.

Enjoy!

Vinegar in the Kitchen

Did you add too much salt to your dinner? Add a bit of distilled white vinegar and a pinch of sugar & it should balance the dish out.

Want your rice even better? Add a teaspoon of white distilled vinegar to the boiling water.

Do your eggs crack when you try to hard boil them? Add white distilled vinegar to the boiling water.

Stay tuned for more....

Things That Make You Go Hmmm...

If I drive past a sign that says

'Do Not Pass'

Am I breaking the law?

A Hair Cut A Day....

I cut Dominic's hair on Wednesday. He was such a good boy for me. He sat there like a little trooper while I buzzed away with the clippers. And he is so adorable, but of course, I'm partial.

The same night I cut Dave's hair after the kids went to bed. Every time I cut his hair he mentions how he has a receding hairline. I always thought he was full of it and would argue with him about it. His hairline has always been set back a little, but it was always longer which hid that fact. I attribute the reason that I've been cutting his hair shorter lately to the fact that he's noticed his hairline is set back.

Weeeeeeell...I think he might be right. As I was cutting his hair on Wednesday I was thinking to myself, "Hmm..it is looking slightly thin here, and here, and here....oh. Hey Babe? I think you were right about your hair."

David: "I told you I was losing it, it's been thinning for a while."

I must have been in denial because I failed to notice even though I come within 6 inches of his scalp to cut his hair every 4-6 weeks.

I mention it to Deb, that I did notice it and she goes, "Yeah, I'm glad you cut it shorter because I could see through the longer hair to his scalp, it's not as noticeable now." Ha! That gave me a good laugh.

OK, how many people noticed that my husbands hair was thinning before I did?

So anyhow, I tell Dave what his Sis says and he rolls his eyes.

Then I joke, "Maybe we should invest in some Rogaine."

Being the frugal bunch that we are, his response: "Do you have any idea how much that stuff costs?!"

I was laughing and talking to a friend about it and she tells me that when she was looking for a mate, she made sure to look at all the older men in the prospective mans family to make sure that his elders had a full head of hair. LOL - that had me rolling. Dave would have miserably failed that test.

Fortunately, I married for love, not for hair, because eventually, he won't have any (smirk).

Week IV Already

I'm having fun with this. I'm enjoying new foods that I previously was too........I don't even know the word(s)...well maybe just too stuck in my ways to even try. It's not even that I wouldn't have tried these foods if someone else made them or if I was at a restaurant, but maybe I thought they were beyond my grasp? I'm not quite sure.

Either way, I've never made Ethiopian food before, or Indian for that matter, and I've been delving into it quite passionately lately. Curry, I love you. My house smells like it today. I made a great red lentil dish for lunch that I'll have to post sometime.

Another plus side? I've lost weight. No, it's not been much but I was sort of at a plateau. I hadn't lost anything worthy of mentioning for a few weeks before I began this journey. And now? Almost 7 lbs - I'd say that's pretty good. No in fact it's great. And I can actually fit into some jeans comfortably now with out dying to go home and unbutton them so that I can actually breath!

I have more energy too. It can't be my imagination because I'm actually getting more accomplished on a daily basis. Don't get me wrong, I'm still a little lethargic, I always have been come mid-afternoon, but it's getting much better. 3 days out of the 5 during the week this week, I haven't taken a nap while the kids were napping. And no - that's not because Mia was awake when Dominic was sleeping - it's because I put the kids to bed for nappy time and I thought to myself, I have too much energy to sleep. Productivity here I come!

Ethiopian Cabbage & Potatoes

This dish was to die for. We all enjoyed it with Injera (Ethiopian sponge bread). You use the bread as your eating utensils for the cabbage & potatoes.

4 tablespoons Olive Oil
4 carrots, peeled & thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 1/4 teaspoon sea salt (I used regular table salt)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 head of cabbage, chopped into bite size pieces
5 potatoes (I used red skins) peeled & chopped into bite size pieces

1. In a large skillet or pot heat half the olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrots & the onions and cook for about 5 minutes.
2. Add one more tablespoon of oil. Then add the salt, pepper, cumin, turmeric and cabbage and cook about 15-20 minutes
3. Add the rest of the oil then stir in the potatoes; Cover and reduce heat to medium/low and cook for another 15-20 minutes, or until potatoes are soft.

Here is a linky to the Injera recipe

Save on Groceries

The Grocery Game

Follow the linky, if you sign up put my e-mail in as your referral (bellaboodaisy@yahoo.com).

If you have questions, e-mail me.

Enough said.

Scrubbing Stainless Steel

Got a tough spot to clean on a stainless steel surface?

If vinegar doesn't do the trick - take a damp cloth & sprinkle some baking soda on it. Use a little elbow grease & that tough spot will be no more!

To Dry or Not to Dry - That Is The Question

So - I conducted an experiment last month. I wanted to see if air drying your clothes was really worth the money saved.

For one whole month's billing cycle, I air dried all of our clothing (except Mia's diapers - happy baby's are important) and just fluffed the clothes that needed to be softened a bit.

I was thinking that I wouldn't really save too much on my electric bill - it was hotter this month than it was last month, so I thought that at best, I'd probably break even on my savings.

Boy, was I wrong - I saved $37!

You can bet I'll be continuing to air dry!

And honestly, it was no big deal, it didn't take much more time & Dominic loves to help me hang the clothes up.

Sickly Sponge

I don't know about you, but I do use a sponge in my kitchen to clean up grimy messes sometimes.

Keep the bacteria out of your sponge & make it last longer by throwing it in your dishwasher every time you do a load of dishes.

Don't have a dishwasher? No problem - use hydrogen peroxide. Just saturate the sponge with it and watch it foam away. Rinse & repeat if necessary until the foaming stops.

Do this often so that you don't spread germs around your kitchen just by trying to keep it clean.

Low Fat Whole Wheat Pita Bread

These are soft and squishy deliciousness. I used my food processor to mix everything.

4 cups whole wheat flour (or 2 cups white flour, 2 cups whole wheat)
1 tablespoon dry yeast
1-1 1/4 cup warm water
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 500*
2. Mix 2 cups flour & yeast together
3. Add water & salt & mix well
4. Gradually add the remaining flour until dough comes off of the sides of the bowl. Use only enough flour for the dough to come off the sides!
5. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic
6. Form dough into balls (as many pitas as you want is the number of balls to roll. (I did 12)
7. On a floured surface, roll each ball into a circle - about 5-6 inches & 1/4 inch thick.
8. Place on a non-stick baking sheet and let rise about 30 minutes. (they will only slightly rise)
9. Bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 5 minutes (the heat will make them puff up quickly)
10. When the pitas come out of the oven, they may be hard but they will soften as they cool.
11. If they won't be eaten right away, store them while still warm in an airtight container.

Saving But Not Saving Money

When you do find ways to cut down your budget put them in a savings account. It's pointless to find extra pennies and then go out and blow it on something that is wasteful that is not a need.

Ordering Online

Sometimes you can save more money - and time by ordering online.

Yes, I know....you're thinking the shipping charges will kill you, right?

Well, that can be true sometimes. But if you shop smart you might be able to get your item(s) shipped for free.

Before you buy ANYTHING online, do a search for coupon codes for that particular retailer. Many retail sites allow you to enter more than one coupon/promotional code. So you might be able to get, say, 20% off of an item as well as free shipping.

Combine that with Mr. Rebates (see previous post) and you'll most likely get a deal that is worthwhile to stay at home and buy instead of wasting gas to go to the store.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

I make this and use it myself on my family's wash.

Here is the recipe:

1 bar finely grated/chopped Ivory, Zote or Fels Naptha soap
1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (NOTE: Different from Baking Soda!)
1 cup 20 Mule Team Borax

Mix ingredients together well. Use 1 tablespoon for average loads and 2 tablespoons for extra dirty loads.

Things That Make You Go Hmmm...

Is it OK for a vegetarian to eat animal crackers?????? Cause....I just had some today.....hmmm

Things That Make You Go Hmmm...

Why is the word abbreviations so long?

How Do You Get Your Protein In?

The other day, a friend was over and asked me, "How do you get your protein in? You have to just eat beans all the time, right? Aren't you bored with food?"

First off - no, I don't eat beans all the time. In fact, I haven't had any beans since sometime mid-week last week.

There are plenty of ways for a vegetarian to get protein in without even having to consciously think about it. In fact, I've never consciously thought about it until she mentioned it. So I guess now is a good time to find out if I do get enough protein.

Did you know that the average woman over 25 needs only 50 grams of protein. If you weigh more or less the requirements go up or down. The FDA says that most people get 50% more protein per day than they recommend.

Most people probably don't really read labels very well to know where their protein is coming from. Here are a few things that I eat that are have protein:

Whole Grains: Whole grain pasta, whole wheat couscous, whole wheat pita bread, whole grain bagels, toast, tortillas, etc.) Did you know that one serving of whole grain pasta packs in 7g of protein?
Oatmeal
Beans: And yes, I do eat them. No, not every day, but it's not just boring beans. I can make a black bean or refried bean burrito. Chickpeas (the main ingredient in hummus) have about 14 grams of protein per serving. Or have hummus with whole grain pita bread or fresh veggies. Lentils have about 17g, soybeans have 29g per serving!
Peanut Butter: Regular old peanut butter has 7g of protein per 2 tablespoons.
Brown rice
Tofu
Nuts
Seeds
Vegetables: The following veggies contain protein: Artichokes, Beets, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Green peas, Green pepper, Kale, Lettuce, Mushrooms, Mustard green, Onions, Potatoes, Spinach, Tomatoes, Turnip greens, Watercress, Yams, Zucchini
Fruit: The following fruit contain protein: Apple, Banana, Cantaloupe, Grape, Grapefruit, Honeydew melon, Orange, Papaya, Peach, Pear, Pineapple, Strawberry, Tangerine, Watermelon
Meat Substitutes: Veggie burgers, crumbles, hot dogs, etc.

As you can see, the average non-vegetarian eats many of these things on a regular basis themselves.

Here is a sample menu of what I ate last Friday. Let's see if I got enough protein:

Breakfast: Whole wheat bagel with peanut butter (14g)
Snack: 1 cup of fruit salad with: Strawberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple (1.5g)
Lunch: Whole wheat pita, stuffed with avocado, spinach, onion, tomato, & sliced veg burger (28g)
Snack: 2 tablespoons of Hummus with Cauliflower (4g)
Dinner: Indian Potato & Zucchini Curry with Whole Wheat Couscous (11g)
Snack: Whole wheat pita chips with onion bean dip (14g)

Tally: A whopping 72g

Wow. Well, I guess I get enough protein, huh?

Have Cheap Fun

Yes, it can be done, surprisingly.

Here are a few ideas:

1. Some Barnes & Nobles stores do free story time including an activity. Find out when it is in your area and take your kids there, they'll enjoy it and it will hopefully be relaxing for you.

2. Want to enjoy going out to eat, but don't have the cash to put out 40 bucks? Why not make a small meal at home and then go out with some friends just for appetizers? You'll spend less, but still get in the desire to go 'out' to eat.

3. Check out your local Red Box movie rental vending machine in your store. Psssst...Get FREE MOVIES at Red Box here. Just check this site for a free code before you go. I've rented movies twice now for FREE. Keep in mind it's only a 24 hr rental, but who cares! They've got newer releases and every location has some different options. You can even check online before you go to see what each location has available so that you are ready when you get there.

Vegipitas

I made my own whole wheat pita bread for the first time yesterday - all I have to say is: WOW. It was so tasty and warm and soft and delicious and yummy right out of the oven....I guess that wasn't really all I had to say.

Anyhoooooo...the recipe for the pita bread will come up tomorrow.

My creation:

1/4 Avocado, thinly sliced
4 thin slices tomato
A few ringlets of onion (red would be super tasty)
a bunch of your favorite leaf lettuce (spinach is great)
Sliced Cucumber

Top it off with a tasty vinaigrette.

To mix it up, slice up your favorite veggie burger and throw it in there. I did, but today I think I'm just gonna do it with the veggies for lunch.

I better go eat breakfast, I'm getting hungry.

Credit Card Debt

I'm constantly amazed when reports come out about the amount of Americans in credit card debt.

I suppose I really shouldn't be though. We fell into the trap before - it was so easy to just throw things on the credit card that we 'needed' and let it pile up.

Here are a few tips to get yourself out:

1. Set up a budget - I know it sounds daunting, but it must be done. You can visit Dave' Ramsay's website and use his budget plan if you don't know how to put one together.
2. Don't just make the minimum payment - you will always be on the losing end if you do. At least put $10 over your minimum payment. Anything over the minimum will help you to start picking away at the debt.
3. Transfer your balance to a new credit card offer with 0%. Just make sure you mark down when the 0% ends and if you are not through paying off your debt transfer it to another offer with 0%. Be sure to close out any open credit with no debt on it.

Simple Cabbage Soup

This soup is very simple, healthy and easy to make. It's a great supplement to a weight loss plan.

Cabbage Soup

1 head of cabbage, cored and chopped
1 onion
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 ribs celery chopped
3 boxes soup stock (veg stock, beef stock, chicken stock - your choice)
2 14oz cans diced tomato
1 Tablespoon olive oil

1. In a large hot stockpot heat the olive oil. Once hot, add the onion, carrots and celery. Saute until onions become translucent.
2. Add cabbage and saute for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the soup stock and canned tomato and bring to rolling boil.
4. Reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes until cabbage is fully cooked.

Enjoy!

Get Cash Back

Have to order something online?

Check out Mr. Rebates.

It's a cash back website that pays you for ordering products through other retailers just by going through their website to order products you already want.

Next time you need to make an online purchase, check out Mr. Rebates and see if the retailer you want to purchase your item from participates with them.

I've already gotten over $20 in cash back just for ordering things I needed anyway.

HOT HOT HOT

Man, it's hot out there!

It's over 100* here. And that cooling bill can get out of control with weather this hot.

My neighbor just told me that his cooling bill was over $300 last month - OUCH!

Mine was $127 (that includes water & other electricity used like the stove, microwave, lights, tv, etc.) And I thought that was high!

If you've got the sun beating down on your windows pull the shades closed on those windows & leave them open on the sides of the house that don't have the sunlight directly beating down on it.

It's surprising how much cooler this makes my living room & kitchen feel (they get sun during the hottest part of the day).

Still Pluggin Along

Week Three:

Everything seems to be going well so far.

I'm doing my best to make healthy meals with meat for the family, and without meat for myself. So far, I've been able to incorporate everything properly, but it's definitely not easy to do. It takes some creativity.

Tonight? Probably stir-fry. It's not only easy, but we have several left-overs that can be thrown into it.

We have left over frozen pork loin (for Dave & Dominic) and I have left over tofu.

I can stir fry the veggies & cook the rice all separately & then add the meat over the top. Very simple....what's for tomorrow? I have no idea...I guess I'll figure it out then.

What To Do With Vinegar: Part I

Yes my friends, vinegar has many uses around the house, it's not just great in salad dressings (stay tuned for more posts on how to use it in cooking).

And have no fear, if you detest the smell of it, just drop some rose petals or a few drops of essential oils in it to infuse a pleasant scent.

Here's a short run down of the many things that can be done with it:

1. Use vinegar as your dishwasher drying agent (instead of something like JetDry)
2. Use in spritz bottle to sanitize your kitchen counters instead of using harsh chemicals
3. Mix with water and use it to mop your floors with (be sure to check your manufacturer's warnings to make sure that it is safe to use on your floors)
4. Instead of buying expensive fabric softener use a few tablespoons of vinegar
5. Shine up your stainless steel and chrome with it instead of buying that expensive cleaner
6. Stinky garbage disposal? Freeze vinegar in an ice cube tray, place in disposal & run it with cold water.
7. Stinky buildup in your dishwasher? Use vinegar in the soap dispenser. Run it through a regular cycle without any dishes in it.
8. Forget to take the clothes out of the washer and put in the dryer? Now they smell mildewy...YUCK! To get the smell out, wash with a few cups of vinegar in HOT water. Then wash on normal cycle with your detergent.

Stuff it.....Part IV

Bean Burrito................oh yea baby!

Here's what I do:

Saute up some pinto beans in some olive oil with a couple dashes of cumin, a clove of chopped garlic & some chopped onions.

Throw them into a whole wheat tortilla wrap (see other post for recipe).

Then top with some shredded cheese.

My favorite things to add are salsa, chopped avocado & lite sour cream.

Go for it - it's super tasty.

Cloth Diapers - The Enemy??

I once thought so.

I had this preconceived notion that they are filthy, dirty and disgusting...

Okay, well, they kind of are.

But what diaper isn't?

If you have a baby you are probably grossed out by the idea of dumping the poo out, and having to wash the diapers.

Take it from me, a person who felt that way, until I tried them out - they aren't THAT bad. In fact, they aren't bad at all.

It's quite easy to wash them - I mean, come on...you do plenty of washing anyway with that baby. What's one more load?

Stuff It, Cram It, Pack It, Fill It - Part III

Tortilla's again....

I did tell you that I could go for days on your options, didn't I?

How 'bout a breakfast wrap. mmmmmmmmm...

Scramble up some eggs and your favorite trimmings to go in.

My favs?

Eggs
mushrooms
onion
green pepper
tomato
HOT SAUCE

OK....I'm getting hungry.

You get the gist of it. Try it!

Hot Water Heater

Those thing-a-ma-jiggers waste a lot of energy heating up your water.

Here are a few tips to minimize the energy wasted:

1. Turn it down to 120*. It is dangerous to have it any hotter than that anyway. It only takes a second to get a third degree burn from hot water. It's much safer for your children if you have any, or for anyone visiting for that matter, for your hot water tank to be turned down to this temperature. Plus, it will save you some $$ to just turn the nob slightly. Easy, right?

2. Going on vacation? There should be 'vacation' mode on your hot water tank nob. Don't forget to turn it before you leave so that it doesn't waste energy on making hot water when you are away. (just remember to turn it on when you get back - otherwise your morning shower might be a little too refreshing!)

3. Install a hot water heater timer. They have various types at home improvement stores. You can have it set to turn on from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. for example. If you aren't going to be home, no sense in heating the water up anyway.

Stuff It, Cram It, Pack It, Fill It - Again

Tortillas continued..........

Grill up some of your favorite veggies. If you don't feel like firing up the grill, saute them, it works just as well. Once the veggies are near done, add a bit of salt & pepper.

Spread hummus (or if you're me - spread SPICY hummus) over surface of tortilla, then pile on veggies & roll.

What to I stuff mine with? Well, it can be any number of things.

This week I used:

Roasted Red Peppers
Eggplant
Zucchini
Onion

Last week I used:
Mushrooms
Green Pepper
Onion
Tomato

Today I'm going to skip the saute part & use raw ingredients over spicy hummus:
Cucumber
Tomato
Red Onion

Waste Not....

Did you know that when you have appliances plugged in, even though they are off, they are still wasting energy?

Unplug those 'luxury' appliances when they are not in use. If you are a toaster/coffee pot on the counter kind of person, unplug them from the wall.

Have a rarely used lamp? radio? night light? video gaming system? Unplug them!

You are wasting precious energy & money is flying out of your pocket by having them plugged in when not in use.

If you are planning on a vacation. Unplug everything within reason (within reason meaning: don't unplug the fridge!).

Milk is HOW MUCH???

Sick of the price of milk?

With the way Dave & Dominic drink it, we are too! So, we decided to 'make' our own. We now pay half of what we paid buying it prepared off of the shelf in the dairy section of our stores.

Check out your local food club store (Sam's, Costco, BJ's, etc.) and see if they have dry powdered milk.

We get the fat free powdered milk at our local club and pay HALF the price of milk that is in your dairy section now. Just follow the directions for mixing on the package & refrigerate overnight before use. We can't tell the difference in taste.



Don't drink cow's milk?

You can make your own rice and almond milk if you are so inclined.

Vanilla Almond Milk

Makes 1-2 quarts depending on how thick or thin you like it

1 Cup Raw Almonds
Water

Soak the Almonds overnight in water. Once soaked, rinse them, throw them in the blender/food processor with 4 cups of water & let it go about a minute or two. Strain the mixture into a pitcher, add a pinch of salt, vanilla & some sweetener (1/4 cup organic unrefined sugar is suggested)

Leave some milk without vanilla and unsweetened for cooking.


Rice Milk

4 cups water

1 1/ 2 cups cooked brown rice (or white rice)

1 tsp vanilla or omit if using for cooking

sweetener, as desired

add Kirkman's powdered calcium, if desired

In a blender, combine ingredients and process until smooth.

Refrigerate.

For smoother results, refrigerate for 1 hour and then strain milk.
Store unused rice milk in refrigerator for up 3 days.

Stuff It, Cram It, Pack It, Fill It

Tortillas are a beautiful thing, you can do just about anything with them. I could probably go on for days about what I have packed a tortilla with.

First off, you need to have the whole wheat tortilla recipe. It's fat free and delicious:

Don't be overwhelmed - it is SUPER simple & takes me now only about 15 minutes from start to finish.

3 cups whole wheat flour
1-1 1/2 cups warm water

Mix ingredients, starting with the lesser amount of water first then add as it's needed.

Once mixed, roll with hands into a long rope and cut dough into desired amount of tortillas wanted. (Obviously bigger pieces for larger tortillas).

Once cut, roll into balls then...

Flour your work surface lightly & roll the tortillas out with a rolling pin.

Heat up a non-stick skillet until it is screaming hot & add tortillas in one by one. Once it starts to bubble & turn brown (about 1 minute) turn over & do the same for about 30 seconds careful not to overcook it as it will harden.


My new favorite thing to do with a tortilla?

PB & Banana Breakfast Wrap

1 banana
2 teaspoons honey
2 tablespoons peanut butter

Spread peanut butter over tortilla, slice banana lengthwise and place over peanut butter. Drizzle with honey & roll up.

YUM YUM YUM

Stay tuned for other ideas for tortillas...

Roasted Red Skins

These are easy to make and the fam loves them. They are also a great crowd pleaser.

6-8 medium sized red skin potatoes, washed & chopped into bite size pieces
1 small red onion, chopped (any onion is fine; use 1/4 of a large if you can't find a small one)
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped (add more if you like - we love our garlic!)
Fresh Rosemary - a handful, chopped fine (you can use any herb: chives, thyme, oregano, etc..., fresh is better, but dried is OK, just be sure to use less if you decide on dried herbs)
Olive oil, a few good glugs
Salt & Pepper to taste (Always use freshly ground pepper!)
Red Pepper Flakes, A pinch, or more if you like it hot

Preheat oven to 450*.

Combine the first four ingredients in a mixing bowl. After ingredients are incorporated mix in the olive oil too.

Spray non-stick spray onto a 8x13 baking dish. Pour potato mixture into baking dish & sprinkle with salt & freshly ground pepper. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes.

Bake for 20 minutes (add more time if you like them crispier)

Need to Boil Pasta?

If you have an electric stove-top, you are most likely prone to boil-overs.

Here's a great tip: once your water comes to a rolling boil, dump your pasta in. Bring the pasta back up to a boil and shut the burner off.

The heating elements on electric stoves take much longer to cool down than gas, so your water will continue to boil for a little while and also remain hot for much longer.

Just 'cook' your pasta for it's regular time noted on the box and it will be done when the timer goes off.

The perk? Not only will you not have a messy boil over to clean, but you are saving some pennies too.

You Can Do It!

Well, Mia is on her way to crawling! She just took 3 'steps' this morning to get where she wanted to go.

She's getting up on her hands & knees very easily now then she rocks back and forth until she can build up enough force to go forward for a few steps.

Dominic is such a great big brother, he urges her on and commends her when she goes forward. "Great job Mia! YAY!". Then he claps and she smiles a great big smile.

She has been getting around to where she wants for a little while now though. She does an army man crawl. You know the kind: your legs are dead weight and you only use your arms/elbows to scoot. She's a master at that.

Fabulous Fungus - A.K.A Sauteed Mushrooms

These mushrooms are delish. If you don't like mushrooms, I'm sorry for you because you are missing out.

If you are a meat eater - top your steak or burger with them, or serve them as a side with some chicken topped with cheese.

Here is a quick great way to eat these yummy fungi:

1-2 cloves of garlic (go ahead add more if you like - I do)
1/2 small white or yellow onion
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 - 8oz package of mushrooms (any type)
1/4-1/2 cup dry white wine (chardonnay will do, if you are concerned about budget you can find some cheap good chardonnay in your grocery store - and don't use the cooking wine - that stuff is nasty!)

Heat a nonstick skillet on medium-high. Once hot add first 4 ingredients.
Saute' those babies up until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms are darker and completely soft.

Add the white wine & let it simmer (near boiling point) until it completely evaporates. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Serve up & enjoy!

The Fall

Kids - boy oh boy! Are they a trip or what? Literally, Dominic just went flying across the floor as I write this and it was hilarious. I think the best part is that as he was flying a big fart came out from the exertion. Ahhh - he's gonna really love me when he gets older, huh? (Of course, he's fine - otherwise would I be laughing? No.)

You ever watch America's Funniest Home Videos? That audience's laughter thrives off of people getting hurt. I swear to you, if I had hidden cameras in my house we would be millionaires. I trip and half fall and seriously slam fall into the floor periodically. I'm such a a klutz. Not only the falling thing, but the walking into walls thing. Now that gets annoying! I might even need shoulder surgery eventually because of it - well, maybe that's exaggerating a little, but it really hurts when your shoulder slams itself into a door frame! You'd think by now since I've used my feet for over a quarter of a century that I'd have it down. Not so, not so.

One Week Down

Well, I thought it would be hard - it was actually easy.

Maybe the hard part comes later, I'll have to wait and see I guess.

I'm actually having fun with new ways to eat, and I am feeling so much better already in many ways:

In just a week I have more energy than I previously did and things are going smoothly, if you know what I mean. Ha! I bet that's what you really came here to read, wasn't it?

As far as my sweet hubby goes - No, he didn't have to eat tofu. What a relief for him, huh?

Seriously, people, it's not that bad! It's actually tasty if you know how to prepare it.

Maybe one day I'll get Dave on the bandwagon and see if he'll just try the tofu, but for now I'm just easing into things here, I don't want to overwhelm the man.

Where does the $$$$ go????

Can't figure out where your hard earned cash is going?

Make a commitment to yourself to write down every dollar spent for at least one month. Two or three months is preferable.

It doesn't have to be complicated, if you aren't an Excel spreadsheet whiz, just used regular old lined paper with two columns: Necessities & Optionals.

Track EVERY SINGLE expenditure.

You will probably find that during the first month much of your outgoing cash is defined under the necessity column. Most likely, however, going into your second and third month, you will realize that many of the items that you spend your dough on aren't really necessities at all.

This is a great way to analyze your spending habits and put them in check if need be.

Is it hot in here?

Did you know that you can save 10% on your cooling bill this summer if you adjust your thermostat by just 1 degree?

I mean, come on - that is SO doable!

An even sweeter way to save more is to USE your programmable thermostat! Set the system to a higher temp while you are out of the house this summer.

If you don't have a programmable thermostat, install one, it's well worth the cost.

How Did I Get Here??

I don't exactly know how it happened, but it just did. I started eating meat less and less. Initially it wasn't really on purpose, but then I started to develop a slight aversion to it. And lately, for the past couple months or so I've only ever touched it when I've made it for dinner.

I've never had a problem with eating meat, I've always loved it - then suddenly, WHAM! The sight of it is not very pleasant. I haven't decided how I quite feel about it yet. I'm just kind of going with the flow.

I'm sure it didn't help the fact that I love watching, "You Are What You Eat" on BBC America. A holistic nutritionist basically shapes up these people on her show that are horrible eaters. It's really unbelievable what these people eat on a weekly basis, you'd have to see it to really even believe me so I won't even get into it. Gillian (the nutritionist) puts them in perspective as far as their diets go, and her tactics for doing so are very interesting. You need to watch it - you wouldn't believe what you see.

Anyway...I started looking up some vegetarian recipes several days ago and I stumbled across PETA's site. I saw this video called "Meet Your Meat" and was intrigued.

Let me just warn you now:

If you like meat, and you want to continue to eat it, don't watch this video.

If you want to be educated and informed about the treatment of factory farmed animals for human consumption, then I suggest you watch it. It was enlightening, to say the least. Not to mention unspeakable and awful - so make sure you really do want to watch it before you attempt because once you start, you won't be able to turn it off. And just so you know, yes, I cried through the whole thing.

I was already teetering, but that clinched it for me. No more meat.

I told my dear husband, "Dave, I think I want to go vegetarian."

His response?....a big SIGH.

No, I don't think he's super excited about it.I honestly can't blame him, can I?

If I were in his position, I'd be wondering, what the heck are we gonna eat for dinner....tofu? He hates tofu.