WFMW - Carrot Cake Muffins

I am part of an organic produce coop. I love the fact that I receive a box of food every other week. It keeps me out of the store and from misspending. It also keeps me trying new fruits/veggies because sometimes I receive things I wouldn't every chance buying from the store.

Anywho, sometimes I get more of something than what I have planned to use. We always get carrots. I don't juice (yet?) so I'm always looking for yummy ways to sneak them in.

Here's a recipe I tried recently and the kiddos loved it :)

Carrot Cake Muffins

Sift 1 cup of whole wheat flour with 1 cup of oat flour (I didn't have oat flour and didn't want to make any so I just used 2 cups of whole wheat). Sift in 2 tsp of baking soda and 1 1/2 tsp of cinnamon also.

Then, add 3/4 cup of wheat germ, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 3/4 tsp of salt. You can also add a protein powder in ( I didn't)

In a separate bowl, combine 3/4 cup applesauce, 3/4 cup of milk (you can use skim but I used 2%), and 4 large beaten egg whites (next time I'll try the whole egg). Add this lumpy mixture to your dry ingredients. Finally, fold in 2 cups of carrots.

Bake at 375 for about 15-18 minutes.

Obviously the originally recipe is a low-fat one. I just used what I had on hand. Tasty!

Be sure to check out Rocks in My Dryer for more Works-for-Me Wednesday tips.

Baking Bread - RECIPE!!!

If you are considering not bothering to read this post because you don't even know WHY I would want to bake my own bread...read THIS...it explains why homemade wheat bread is so good tastin' and good for you.

This post is EXTREMELY long. It contains the recipe and instructions for the bread that I make at home from scratch. The original recipe is at www.yourhealthsource.org. My recipe for Whole Wheat Bread is tweaked a bit from the original.

Before you even read further, know that I have a posted a simple recipe for baking bread by hand too (yield = 2 loaves). Please don't be discouraged from trying. I'm just an information junkie and want to share as much as I can...

Bread making doesn't have to be difficult. Any 'ol recipe book will give you a good start. When I decided to try making bread I picked up the red-and-white checkered Better Homes and Garden Cookbook and made homemade white bread. It was very good. Then I made wheat bread from the recipe on the back of the whole wheat flour package bought from WalMart. It was tasty too.

I started making bread three years ago and I'm still learning. Life is a journey; so is making bread :)

The first recipe assumes you are milling your own wheat into flour and using a Bosch Universal Mixer. If you don't have the equipment to mill your flour, start with the flour from the store or find someone near you who DOES mill their flour. Further down you will find the recipe for making bread by hand. This bread is GOOD and yield 6 loaves. It's the same bread I use to make cinnamon rolls!

WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

You will be delighted with how simple bread making can become. Bread can be ready to eat in as little as 1 ½ hours!

12 cups wheat berries
2/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup honey (Sometimes mine ends up being a cup :)
6 cups warm water (120 to 130 degrees)
(I use 5 cups of water and 1 cup of STARTER)
3 tablespoons yeast
2 tablespoon salt

Makes 6 loaves
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Rising and cooking time: 40 minutes

1. Using the mill, grind 12 cups of hard Prairie Gold Montana Wheat (important to have high quality, triple washed, certified chemical free wheat-this is the safest for your mill and is grown for human consumption, with plenty of protein) (12 cups of wheat berries= approximately 18-20 cups of flour)

2. In Bosch™ bowl, use the Dough Hooks to mix the honey, oil, water, and yeast. Be sure the plastic splash guard is on the mixing bowl.

3. While running the mixture at low speed, add 10 cups of flour and then the salt.

4. Stop the machine and set a timer. (10-15 minutes in the winter-10 minutes in the summer) Put the lid on the bowl to capture the moisture and warmth of the mixture. Let sit until timer goes off or until dough rises almost to the top of the bowl. This is called letting the dough "sponge."

5. Turn the machine on 1 and continue adding flour until the dough clears the sides of the bowl.

6. Knead on a low speed for 4 to 5 minutes. Let the dough sit for 1 to 2 minutes, then check for gluten development. (see Tips & Techniques) The dough should stick to itself, not to you.

1. Press the dough and it will spring back.
2. Dough clings to itself and not you.
3. Dough is translucent when stretched, you can see light through it.

7. This is the fun part! Take the dough out of the bowl by dumping it onto an oiled countertop or large cutting board. (no need to add flour from this point forward) Pick the dough up and slam it down a few times. Slamming the dough helps remove any air bubbles that may have formed. Simply dump the dough and then shape it into a large circle. Using regular kitchen scissors, cut the dough (like a pie) into 6 equal pieces. Each of these pieces of dough can now be used to make a variety of bread forms. (use a kitchen scale to weigh the dough if you want 6 perfectly equal parts) Some of the possibilities are: loaf of bread, cinnamon rolls, foccaccia bread, bread sticks, dinner rolls, pretzels, tea rings, hoagie buns, filled breads/buns, sandwich bread, 3 ball dinner rolls, crescents, pizza crust, sticky balls/monkey bread, cinnamon twists, herb/garlic bread, braided breads, etc. See instructions below for shaping the dough.

8. Shape into the desired form and let rise in a warm oven for about 20 minutes or on the counter for 1 hour, OR until the bread doubles in size.

9. Bake at 350 degrees. If your bread is rising in the oven, simply turn on your oven and let it preheat with the bread already inside. You may want to experiment with taking the dough out of the oven and letting the oven get to the full 350 degrees and then put the dough back in. I like to just turn on the oven without removing the dough because it saves me a few steps.

10. Get to know your oven. . .rolls and pizza crust take less time, loaf bread takes up to 30 minutes in some ovens. I usually bake rolls for 15 minutes (or less) and bread for 20 to 25 minutes.

SHAPING THE DOUGH

After forming the dough into the shape of a large circle. Cut the dough into 6 equal pieces. Now you have the beginnings of a variety of bread forms. 1/6 can become any of the following forms, or any you can dream up! Set aside 5 portions of dough and cover with moist cloth.

LOAF OF BREAD, simply take 1/6 of the dough and shape it into a long, narrow loaf and place into a prepared (oiled) bread pan. Pat down any remaining air bubbles.

CINNAMON ROLLS, simply roll dough out into a rectangle shape, (at least 10 by 14 inches) then add your favorite ingredients. If you want extra fluffy cinnamon rolls, experiment with more yeast in your basic recipe. I've used up to 5 tablespoons.

Here's what I do: spritz the entire face of the bread with olive oil, sprinkle with chopped pecans, cinnamon, finely ground coconut and organic raisins. You can try applesauce, chopped bananas, maple syrup, etc. This bread is so good for you, I don't mind a simple sugar frosting. In our household, we drizzle fresh cinnamon rolls with maple syrup and by pass the traditional sugar coating. Roll up the dough and then use scissors or dental floss to cut the dough into traditional cinnamon rolls. Place them ¼ to ½ inches apart in a prepared pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

FOCACCIA BREAD, simply roll dough out into a rectangle shape.(10 by 14 inches) I use a jelly roll stone and spread the dough out with a roller. I let the dough rise and then spritz it with olive oil and follow with Italian herbs or a Rosemary herb blend. We serve Focaccia bread with marinara sauce (spaghetti sauce) and a salad. Very easy and very yummy! This bread is also great dipped in an olive oil/balsamic vinegar/Italian seasoning mixture. Try kneading dried tomato bits, chopped onions & garlic into this dough before you roll it out.

BREAD STICKS/PRETZELS/CINNAMON TWISTS, take 1/6th of the dough and make it into a circle. Cut the circle into 8th and each piece can become a bread stick. Simply use your hands to roll the dough into long pieces. Place the dough on a prepared pan or cookie sheet, spritz with olive oil and your favorite seasonings(for pretzels, dip the pretzel in a large bowl of water and then add coarse salt) and bake for 10 to 15 minutes. You may want to lightly knead spices into the bread and then shape them for bread sticks. Cinnamon Twists are just bread sticks that have been rolled in olive oil or maple syrup and then in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar, then twisted and placed on a prepared baking sheet. Keep in mind, these products will need less cooking time. Probably 12 to 15 minutes.

DINNER ROLLS, again, taking 1/6th of the dough, form the dough into a circle and then cut it into 8ths. Each 8th makes a large dinner roll. Place dinner rolls about ¼ to ½ inch apart in your prepared pan.

THREE BALL DINNER ROLLS, 1/6 divided into 8 equal portions. Each portion is then divided into three equal parts. Roll the parts to form small balls and then place three balls into each muffin space.

PIZZA CRUST, using 1/6th of your dough, spread the dough onto a pizza stone as thin as you like, prick and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. If you like soft crust, let the dough rise and then bake. If you want crispy crust, do not let the dough rise, prick it and then bake immediately.

STICKY BALLS/MONKEY BREAD, Use a round cake pan with 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil in the bottom of the pan. Add honey or maple syrup and pecans or walnuts. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Gently knead raisins into the dough and roll dough into 1" balls and fill the pan with the balls touching. Let it rise and then bake. Turn pan upside down on a platter to serve. Variation: roll each dough ball in a maple syrup mixture and then roll the wet dough in a mixture of cinnamon, finely ground coconut, raisins, and nuts and then place in the pan, prepared with olive oil and syrup as previously instructed. Cooking time may be longer depending on the amount of moist ingredients.

BRAIDED BREADS, these are so fun and beautiful. Divide 1/6 of the dough into three equal pieces. Roll the pieces into long strands and braid your bread. Or, divide the 1/6 of dough into two equal parts, roll the pieces out, into a 4 by 12 inch rectangles. Place spices, veggies and marinara sauce down the middle of each strip. Fold each strip in half and seal the edge. Now you have two long, sealed, stuffed breads. Twist the strands together and you now have a beautiful stuffed bread. Try sweet ingredients, too. Cinnamon, pumpkin, raisins, nuts, dried cranberries, etc.

BURGER BUNS, Divide 1/6 of your dough into 4 equal parts. Shape into the form of traditional burgers. Rise, bake, cool and cut in half. Press sesame seeds on top if you like.

Use your imagination! Go to your local library for illustrated bread books!

RISING THE DOUGH
Cover and let rise until double in a warm draft-free place. This should take anywhere from 20-40 minutes. Or, preheat your oven, turn it off and place loaves in the warm oven.

If desired, brush olive oil on your loaves for a brown crust. Sprinkle with oat, rye, or whole grain flakes. Sesame or poppy seeds work well too. This makes a beautiful presentation and the flakes or seeds add a delicious 'toasted' flavor to the bread.

RISEN DOUGH READY TO BAKE
Bake at 350 degrees. Rolls, 20-25 minutes. Loaf bread, 25-35 minutes. Many ovens vary on temperature, if you are not sure, buy an oven thermometer to check your oven's exact temperature. Another surefire way to tell if your bread is done is to stick it with an instant-read thermometer. It should read 200 degrees.

Fresh from the oven, your bread is ready to eat. The whole process takes approximately 1 ½ hours!

Almost every time I make my bread, I freeze dinner rolls prior to rising. I simply shape the rolls and place them on an ovensafe dinner plate and put them in the freezer. When I am ready for fresh from the oven bread, I take the plate out of the freezer, let the rolls thaw and rise and then bake them. Delicious and very convenient. If you need the dough to thaw quickly, preheat your oven, turn it off and then put the dough in the oven to warm and rise.

When we are hungry for pizza, we will thaw the same dinner rolls, roll them into individual round pizza crusts, bake them and then add our favorite toppings! You can freeze this dough in its many forms and you will always have a variety of choices on hand. This bread also freezes well after it has baked and cooled completely.

Want hot cinnamon rolls on Saturday morning? If you are baking Friday night and want fresh rolls the next morning, simply make the cinnamon rolls and then put them, covered, in the refrigerator to slowly rise overnight. Take them out in the morning, let them warm up and complete the rising process and then bake!

Whole Wheat and Seeds Bread
(My Absolute Favorite High Fiber Bread Recipe-I Make All Of The Various Bread Forms With This Super Healthy Recipe)

10 cups of wheat berries
1 cup of barley
1 cup of brown rice
1 cup flaxseeds (ground in blender or coffee grinder)
1 cup sesame seeds (ground in blender or coffee grinder)
6 cups of hot tap water (if you like sour dough, use 5 cups of hot water and 1 cup of sourdough starter liquid)
1 cup olive oil
1 cup honey
3 Tlb. Saf yeast
2 Tlb. Salt (more if you want)

Grind wheat berries, barley and rice in Mill. Grind flaxseeds and sesame seeds in the blender attachment. Dump the seeds into the mixer and then fill the blender attachment with 6 cups of hot tap water. Add 10 cups of freshly ground wheat flour. Add olive oil and honey and yeast. Turn mixer to speed 1 for about 1 minute or less until mixed. Then put the plastic lids on the mixer and set a timer for 10 minutes. Let the mixture sit and "sponge." After sponging, run the mixture on speed 1 and add the salt and remaining flour until the dough just begins to clear the sides of the bowl. Set your timer for 5 minutes and let the mixer knead the dough. After 5 minutes, let the dough sit for about 2 or 3 minutes. . .if the dough is not sticky and looks smooth, you are ready to dump the dough onto an oiled counter top. Oil your hands, shape the dough into a big ball and then cut it into 6 equal pieces. For nutty bread, throw in 1 cup of raw sesame seeds.

Replace wheat with Spelt if you wish, or do a half wheat, half spelt mixture.

HAND KNEADING (IN CASE YOU DON'T HAVE A KITCHEN CENTER. . .YET!)

Denise's Honey Whole Wheat Bread:

Have on hand: 2 1/2# (9-10 cups of flour) of freshly milled hard Montana Spring whole wheat flour (order through the Co-op)

In large mixing bowl place:
3 cups hot water (115-125 degrees)
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup olive, sunflower, safflower or oil of choice
5 cups of the flour
1 1/2 Tablespoons SAF instant yeast1 Tablespoon dough enhancer (optional, gives a lighter and fluffier texture)

Mix above with a large wooden spoon and then cover and let set until double in size and bubbly. This is called a sponge and will take approximately 15-30 minutes. Then add:

1 T. salt(I use Realsalt™)
And add enough of the remaining flour until it cleans the sides of the bowl. Touch the dough to see if it needs more flour. If it is real wet and sticky, add a bit more flour until it is no longer wet. You want to achieve a smooth and satiny feel to the dough. Don't add too much flour or you will create a heavy loaf.

To begin the process of hand kneading, you should have a large mass of dough in front of you on the countertop that feels moist to the touch but not 'sticky'. Start by pushing away and pulling forward the dough and then give it a ¼ turn and push and pull again. Continue this process until the dough is smooth and satiny feeling. It should feel rather 'light and springy' to the touch. This could take anywhere from 10-30 minutes depending on the recipe and how vigorous a kneader you are! When you are pushing and pulling, be sure to pull the dough up and over from front to back and back to front. See directions for heavy-duty mixer kneading above for shaping and baking.

TIPS & TECHNIQUES

The Ultra Mill is the most economical mill on the market. If you are interested in "mega" baking (more than 20 cups of flour at a time) you may want to order another mill. Please email Monica@YourHealthSource.Org for information on other types of mills.

First and foremost be sure that your ingredients are fresh and at room temperature. Cold flour that may have been stored in the freezer should be brought to room temperature. Ultimately, your flour should be ground fresh for the maximum amount of nutrition and flavor! (I keep frozen flour or bread for no longer than 1 month)

Ingredients for Great Bread:

" Extra Virgin, first cold pressed Olive Oil (not heat treated, not "extra light tasting" olive oil)
" Raw, unfiltered, local honey or 100% maple syrup (you can substitute other forms of sweetener)
" SAF professional yeast, needs no "proofing" In other words, you don't have to check it. . .it is consistently good. Store your yeast in a sealed container in the refrigerator or freezer.
" Hot water 115 to 120 degrees
" Freshly milled, high quality grain(need high protein content)
" Real Salt™ or Sea Salt
(Remember to use a variety of grains rather than the same grains over and over.)

Wheat conversions:
1 cup uncooked wheat = 2 cups cooked wheat
2 cups whole wheat = 3 cups ground flour
1 lb whole wheat = 24/4 cups wheat berries

Fresh milled flour starts to oxidize immediately and studies have shown that within a few days it can be completely rancid. I use high-gluten hard spring wheat from Montana to get the highest rising bread possible. Extra virgin olive oil or cold-pressed safflower or sunflower are the best oils to use for maximum freshness. Raw honey contains the most nutrients and helps to keep the bread fresher longer. Salt should be unprocessed sea salt or I prefer to use RealSalt™ because it is naturally mined from the earth and contains minerals. Most salts(including many sea salts) are heat treated and contain free flowing agents such as aluminum or sugar to keep them flowing smoothly. Realsalt is not heat treated.

I do most of my baking with SAF instant yeast. It's a professional baker's yeast that needs no proofing. Proofing is when you add the yeast directly to the water with a pinch of sugar to see if it's still alive. You can add the SAF yeast directly to the flour instead of proofing it in the liquid. Because it is a highly potent yeast, you use about 1/4 less of it than regular yeast.

As for baking pans, I use stoneware or glass baking pans. Stainless Steel pans are a wonderful choice, as well. Brushing the pan with olive oil works to keep the loaves falling right out of the pans. I do not use pan sprays because they have propellants and are not the best for the environment or for baking stones. Instead, make your own by adding 2 tsp to 2 cups olive oil. This will make your breads fall out of the pan everytime!

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN USING AN ELECTRIC MIXER:

1. Be careful not to add too much flour! In the beginning this is very tempting and easy to do but in the end, you will wind up with a very heavy loaf.

2. Do not be tempted to over-knead. Because these machines are extremely powerful, it's very easy to over-knead the dough. If the dough goes from soft to stretchy to big globs that break apart in your hand, then you have most likely over-kneaded the dough. Usually anything over 10 minutes will do this. Be sure to perform the gluten test after about 5-7 minutes of kneading to prevent this from happening. (See below for proper gluten development information) Speed 1 on the Bosch™ Universal is sufficient for bread kneading.

If the dough feels heavy and just breaks apart and is not stretchy, then you must continue to knead a little longer. However, this can also happen if you have overkneaded the dough...it will go from soft and stretchy to heavy and sticky.

You will know this immediately if the dough goes from cleaning the sides of the electric mixer bowl to being very sticky on the sides of the bowl no matter how much more flour you add. Do not worry about over-kneading by hand, it would be very hard to do.

3. Usually Kneading on the lowest speed is sufficient for kneading bread. The higher speeds are most often reserved for using the blender or attachments.

CHECKING FOR PROPER GLUTEN DEVELOPMENT

Proper gluten development is important for a high-rising loaf of bread. It's formed when the protein part of the wheat is kneaded and it becomes stretchy and elongated. The carbon dioxide gas that is formed by the yeast is trapped in the gluten web thus causing the dough to rise. After kneading the dough into a soft and smooth consistency, it should feel rather "stretchy" but not "sticky." This will take anywhere from 3-10 minutes in an electric mixer to 10-20 minutes by hand.

An Inconsistent Blogger

I sit down numerous times a day to my computer. Either to answer email, pay a bill, or check the weather. Everytime I look at my Mac I have that sinking feeling that I haven't blogged regularly in weeks. I feel terrible about it because it's something I enjoy and because there is this sinking feeling that virtual "friends" come to my "place" and there is nothing happening :)

The summer is here and the household is hopping! I have lots of photos to share and a few good lessons the Lord has been teaching me too, but finding the time to write about them well is alluding me.

I have the kids BUSY. When we are at home, the schedule me and Jesus worked out is working like a CHARM. I am trying to stay balanced between time at home to veg out and time in the street to hang and have a good time.

So far this week, we have taken advantage of a free movie at local theater, been to the library to register hours read for the summer reading program and take the littles to storytime, visited a pet store and talked to the parrot, gone ice skating at the mall, shopped at a local strip mall for summer clothes (can someone say CLOTHES COST TOO MUCH MONEY FOR TEENAGE GIRLS), moved furniture around upstairs to give each of the kiddos rooms a "new look", pulled weeds, chased a salamander, been to the gym, etc, etc, etc...

We have been having fun and as terrible as I feel for not blogging consistently, I'm glad that the reason for my inconsistency is a good one :)

If you reading and are wondering what has happened to my lack of depth or practical tips normally found in my posts...hang in there. I'll get back into it soon. I promise!

WFMW - Mommy's Tip Jar

I find change everywhere in my house. I find it when I clean out my car, when I clean out my purse, and when I clean out pockets before doing a load of laundry. I collect change every time I use cash to shop. I collect change from the dresser where my husband empties his pockets and seemingly forgets about those loose pennies, nickels, and dimes. I collect change in the most unlikely of places.

Well one day I got tired of simply finding change and decided to use it. It's amazing how quickly all that change will add up to the cost of a book I've been wanting or the amount of my favorite Starbucks drink!

I placed a coffeecup on the shelf located above my washing machine. Anytime I find/collect/discover coins, I deposit them there. When the cup looks like it might be worth something. I take it to my local grocery store which house a CoinStar machine and exchange my coins for a giftcard to Amazon, iTunes, or Starbucks. Although CoinStar normally charges to count coins, when you are using approved gift certificates there is NO FEE!

This has been a really fun way to add small joys into finding loose coinage around the house. What's funny is that my husband and kiddos have caught on to my fun. Every now and then I'll see some other folks "tipping" me too!

Be sure to check out Rocks in My Dryer for more Works-for-Me Wednesday tips.

find change around the house and take it to coinstar for treats to coffee, new books, etc...

Why It's Hard For Me To Lose Weight...

Earlier this week I made bread and saved some dough for my girls to get creative the next morning. They both like to get busy in the kitchen and I let them because they are good chefs in the making! Well this is their idea of how to use healthy whole wheat dough...CINNAMON ROLLS!...

You would have been proud of me though. I had one bite. That's it.

Then I spent the rest of the week mad...

Phase I of Weight Loss COMPLETE!!!

I haven't stepped on the scale for a couple of weeks. I was just disgusted with my double-mindedness with regards to maintaining a lifestyle of healthy, portion-controlled eating.

I have done OK for the last week or so and decided to measure and see where I was at.

I'M IN A NEW TENS CATEGORY. I haven't seen this tens category for almost five years. WHOOPEE! So I'm officially down to my initial 29 lb goal...

So...I'm reveling in the victory for a hot second but I am also wanting to continue to "press towards the mark" by resetting my goal.

Here we go again!!!...On to 40 pounds!

My only goal is to stop eating when I'm satisfied, drink LOTS of water (12 cups or 3 liters), and to do some type of "moving" activity each day (gym, walk, bike, garden).

I've also started a program called Setting Captives Free. If you want to try it out click on "online courses" and then "Food Issues" and then "The Lord's Table Phase I).

I figure I gained all my weight because of a certain mindset. The key to a life change is to renew my mind as it relates to my body, my cravings, and food. This is a good program as it relates diet/weight loss to my relationship with God. And best of all, IT'S FREE. I have friends that have only done the study and lost weight but there is also a eating plan if you want to use it.

It's onward and downward from here....

Drinking Grass

OK...so I'm on a mission of health and I'm raring and daring to try new things....



I've been reading The Green Foods Bible and I figured if I could read all about the benefits of ingesting straight green food that I should try it. I stopped by my local Smoothie King and asked for an ounce. It was $2.00!

The only thing I can say is that it tasted like GRASS! What can I say...I'll try anything once. Although I don't think I will make a routine of paying $2.00 an ounce for power packed nutritional green juice, I do think that I might look into some of the green powders that contain some of these nutrient dense wonder-working plant foods. Anything tastes good added to a smoothie!

Why Wheatgrass? I couldn't even sum up without writing a thesis statement or referring to a million websites. The bottom line - it's a superfood. Lots of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, it acts as a detoxifier/cleanser and it is mostly 70% chlorophyll which is supposed to be a good thing.

I truly am overwhelmed with the amount of information that exists on healthy living/eating/diet. If it doesn't have to be grass, it has to be organic, if it doesn't have to be organic, it has to be growing in your backyard, if it didn't grow in your backyard, then surely you make it from scratch.

I see why some folks get completely consumed with this stuff. It's never ending!

Lord help me to be open to messages of health I'm unfamiliar with yet help me to apply balance as I learn and try new things.

While I'm waiting on balance :), I went ahead and bought some chlorophyll (I bought mine in mint flavor but you can buy it without flavor). I put it in a teaspoon in the morning and drink it down. Now, you can all say at once....Why on earth would you do that Chrystal? Well, I've heard that chlorophyll helps with energy levels. Is it true. So far....YES! Here is something I read that explains in more detail:

Chlorophyll power

• Chlorophyll, a green plant pigment, is quite possibly the most powerful element that exists in the universe. Chlorophyll is one of the most intensely researched elements in history and has been used in the treatment of everything from periodontal disease, diabetes and low iron, to open wounds, ulcers and body odor.
  Today, foods that contain chlorophyll are gaining wide acclaim for their ability to prevent disease.
• While science does not fully understand the miracle of chlorophyll, we do know that its chemical makeup strongly resembles hemoglobin (the portion of the blood that carries oxygen). The major difference between the two chemical structures is that the center element of chlorophyll is magnesium, while the center element of hemoglobin is iron.
• Some research is now suggesting that chlorophyll can efficiently release magnesium, and replace it with iron. In other words, chlorophyll can actually be converted to hemoglobin, which increases the flow of oxygen to all parts of the body.
• The ability of the body to maintain an environment rich in oxygen is important for several reasons. One of the most important benefits is that it allows the body to release more carbon dioxide, which in turn, reduces stress on the body, creates greater energy and endurance, and creates an aerobic environment. In an aerobic environment, disease cannot get started.
• An aerobic environment also is beneficial to the so-called friendly bacteria, and detrimental to bad bacteria. The good bacteria promote digestive health, while bad bacteria contribute to such things as disease, body odor, and bad breath.

For the rest of the article click here.

So there you have it folks...I drink grass...or a form of it at least...I'm officially a weirdo (or at least until I get tired of being weird and decide to try research and experiment with something more normal like getting laundry done, dishes washed, or summer clothes organized).

We'll see how long this lasts... :)

Things to Do This Summer

Well this is our last official week of school. Normally we school year round but my oldest daughter is coming into her own and she has a SCHEDULE to keep. I've learned from summer's gone by that trying to fit school in between camp or family vacation or the mission trip...just isn't smart.

Although I will do "school" for my littles (they don't know about any difference between the summer and the traditional school year) it will be very relaxed. I like to get out of the house and take advantage of all the fun things going on in the city.

This week is Vacation Bible School at our church which means late nights and letting the kiddos sleep in. The next couple of days we'll be enrolling in the library's summer reading program and spending quality time in the backyard. The kiddos will play while I pull more weeds and finish the beds for my tomato plants (yes...I'm trying my hand at gardening).

Anyhow, every year I add things to my Summer List of Activities and save it so I won't have to start from scratch the next year. Thought I'd share the list with you guys today!

Questions Answered...

Sometimes when I post something, I'll get questions about how I do it "exactly". Here are a couple...

1. Jill said...

Hi. I found your blog from the WFMW links @ the Rocks in my Dryer blog. I love the Master Grocery List idea. I saved your copy and plan to edit to what we normally buy. I am picturing this on the side of my fridge and I can check things as I see we need them. Is that how you do yours?

I have tried a variety of things to tell you the truth. It usually works one of two ways. I keep the list on a clip board, hung from a nail hanging on the inside of my pantry door. I will go to it as needed to check something off the list. Now this works for me but my family is not as inclined to look through the list (which is organized by the aisles at my local Wal-Mart) and FIND what we need to check it off. So...the grocery list on the refrigerator works well for the FAMILY b/c they can easily see it and easily make a new note about what we need. If I rely on my fridge list then I'll shop week by week for what we need based on my menus (minimizes impulse buying). I'll put anything from the fridge list that can wait on my Master Grocery List and wait to buy that at my once a month (big shop) at WalMart.

One other thing I do is couponing (when I feel like it). I will check those items on my Master Grocery List and put a "C" next to them so I'll remember to use the coupon. Hope that helps.

2. Rachel Anne said...

I need to know your brain dump task list method. Sounds good. I keep running lists...if I can remember where I put them!

OK...let me warn you...my brain NEVER ceases to churn out stuff and I know that my brain dump is over the top. But it helps me to remember the things I think of randomly (oh so randomly). So if you want to see how crazy things really are around here...view my brain dump at your own risk.

The other thing I do to keep up with my random thoughts is to walk with a memo pad in my purse. I can just take it out any 'ole where an jot down whatever comes to mind. Then I can transfer these things to the correct place later (needs from the grocery store, brain dump list, calendar, tell hubby, etc.) The memo pad I have comes with a pocket so I fold up my brain dump and a copy of this month's calendar and put it in the pocket for easy out-of-the-house reference.

Hope this helps!

My Personal Policies

My friend Rachel tagged me for a meme. She posted yesterday about her personal policies and she is right - she's not the only one with personal rules she lives by. So here are my own:

1. Never use the same face towel twice in a row. Dry and clean makes a good start.
2. End every meal with something sweet. Even if it's only a peppermint.
3. Bare feet on a bare floor is gross...even if it's just socks, covering is a must.
4. Never sit on public toilets (this should be a given)
5. No one else should wear my shoes...
6. Things don't have to spotless, piles are OK, as long as I know where stuff is...but DON'T TOUCH MY PILES
7. A person should never drink the last of anything in someone else's fridge, especially mine.
8. Don't take anything out of my room, purse, car, etc. without asking. I'm a giving person but give me a chance to give it to you.
9. Wet floors after a shower are yucky...so I'm always first into the shower :)
10. I'm with Rachel...no sweaty men in bed :)
11. I don't kill bugs with my own shoes. I go get my husbands.
12. When I fill up my gas tank, I have to end on a price that is divisible by 5 (like $45.65).
13. I use the brain dump method for a "To Do List". I have a Master Task List that has EVERYTHING on it that I need to remember by "ASAP", "Week", "Month", "Quarter", & "Year". It just give me peace to know that everything is written down.
14. No eating fried chicken in the bedroom. My Starbucks and Chocolate Covered Graham Crackers are OK though :)
15. Eggs should crack evenly in half when I use them for cooking. If they don't...I feel like I'm a failed cook.
16. My pillow is my pillow....I don't like using others...
17. Always leave a message on voicemail...a beep followed by empty space is such a waste of time:)
18. My seat at church is my seat at church!
19. I refuse to wear makeup everyday (mostly church and special occasions). I had a friend that did and one day when she went without I asked her if she was sick. By following this policy, I can only look better not worse.
20. I like my feet to be warm. If you are a good friend of mine, you'll know b/c when we sit on the couch to talk, I reserve the right to stick my feet under your bottom. Bottoms do a good job of warming feet.

OK...I think I've done enough damage to my public reputation for one afternoon :) If anyone else wants to play along, please do! Be sure and let me know when you've posted your own rules so I won't feel alone in my principles.

I'll tag Leslie, Lindsey, Jana, and Wynter!