Breakfast Casserole

Sausage, Egg and Biscuits Casserole

1 Can Buttermilk biscuit

1lb Jimmy Dean Sausage

1 C Shredded Mozzarella

1 C Shredded Cheddar

6 Eggs

3/4 C Milk

Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

Cut biscuits into 6 to 8 pieces, place in a greased 8x8 pan. 

Brown sausage on the stove top and drain.

Spread sausage over the cut up biscuits.

Beat eggs and add milk, salt, and pepper

Pour over sausage and biscuits

Sprinkle with shredded cheeses over the top

Bake at 425 for 30-45 minutes

Let sit 5 minutes

Ruffling Some Feathers....

This morning I read an article about provisions in Obamacare that will allow the government to come into my home for 'forced inspections'. Uh - thats a big fat NO. You can sit there and laugh at me and think I am no person to be scared of, or who am I to go against the government. But you will be looking at it different when they tell you that your child has to take a certain vaccine that you dont believe in, or how about sending them to a school that is not up to your standards or that you cant afford because they think its right. You will be singing a song of a different tune then.

This quote is taken directly from the article:
"Intervention," he added, quoting Brown, "may be with any family for any reason. It may also result in the child or children being required to go to certain schools or taking certain medications and vaccines and even having more limited – or no – interaction with parents. The federal government will now set the standards for raising children and will enforce them by home visits.”

Can you honestly sit here and tell me that you would be okay with someone walking into YOUR home and deciding whats best for your child? Don't worry about any one else's home. Don't worry about the people that probably do need some intervention. Worry about YOURS. Because this does not state you have to be a bad parent, unfit parent. This states "for any reason".

If you still say you are okay with that, then maybe you should move to a country that rules every movement that their citizen makes and let the citizens of this country that want their freedom have just that.

And before I am bashed like crazy - I did my research before I posted this. There are pages that try and debunk this just like there are ones that believe it. I feel my sources and the things I read are reliable.

- - - - - - - - -

How about this other story. Students were suspended from school for using air-soft guns AT HOME. Yes - AT HOME. The boys were waiting for the bus - BUT they were on private property and NOT on what is considered school property. The child does NOT have to abide by school rules until they are ON school property, so how in the heck were they allowed to do this? Oh, that whole 'Zero Tolerance' policy.

Why dont you ask the parents of they 7 year old boy who was suspended for chewing his pop tart into the shape of a gun how this Zero Tolerance policy is working for them.  I mean seriously, you just have to be kidding me! Its called being a boy. Its called being imaginative. This will go on that boys record!!

- - - - - - - -

This all goes back to the wonderful gun control debate.

Here's how I see it.

First off I am not a fan of guns. They scare me. I know in the wrong hands of the wrong people I could lose my life. With living in the country I hear gun shots constantly of people that are shooting off their guns. It freaks me out because I have the fear of 'what if they don't know what they are doing'.

But even though I have all that craziness in my head - who am I to tell them that they CAN'T do that on their own property? That they can't protect themselves or shoot for fun? It is their freedom. It is their right.

I have learned A LOT about guns and the people who rightfully own them with living in the country. If you are ever in my town walking around, you can rest assure almost every one you see is a carrying. At first it freaked me out... a lot. But now I feel PROTECTED. I know that if I am out shopping, at the movies, running at the park.... and there is a crazy that comes in - there will most likely be someone there that can stop it from happening.

Regardless of my own personal fears. Every where you look a gun is in the wrong hand of the wrong person and no matter what law you put out there about who should and shouldn't have them - the wrong people will always still have them. That will NEVER change.

I believe everyone should have the right to protect themselves with a gun. My home is protected. My family is protected. My husband and daughter could both protect me if needed. They are skilled, they are trained and smart in their decision making. I feel VERY safe living in a home with guns and people who know how to use them.

- - - - - - -

Now back to Obamacare

Yes I said it. And I am going to keep going.

I am against Obamacare, and here is why.

1. I am not okay with the government telling me that if I don't buy something from them that I will be fined. Infringing again on my rights. Does there really need to be another reason not to like it?

2. Medicare cuts - from my research the elderly are going to some of the worst hit by this. Benefits are being reduced by $500 billion dollars. One day you will be old or have someone that is and relies on this and it WILL matter to you.

3. 80% of Americans that already have insurance will pay higher premiums.

4. The Employer Mandates. Many companies will go out of business or have to lower your hours due to the higher premiums or the $2000 fine if they don't comply. So ya, you may have insurance now - but not enough money to pay your electric bill. Hows that going to work out for you?

5. Privacy - The government will now be involved in deciding on what medications and procedures each person should receive. Which means that the government will need to know about about you and your medical history. The decision will no longer be between you and your doctor. Nor will your private information. With all the medical issues I have had - I am surely not okay with anyone, especially the government telling me how to be treated.

6. Infringing on Religious Liberty - Religious Liberty is a fundamental right under the First Amendment of the constitution. Employers will now be mandated to pay for abortion-inducing drugs, contraception, or sterilization for employees. The employer will be required to offer these services for "free", meaning the employer will pick up the cost of including these in their health insurance plan.

I know there are some people out there that go crazy at #6 and just want to bash Christians. For the record there are people that are religious and that are non religious that believe in abortions, contraception and sterilization just like there are religious and non religious people that don't believe in them. The point of #6 isn't rather you believe in abortion, contraception or sterilization - The point is that government shouldn't make a company pay for this when it is infringing on their religious liberty - rather you agree with that choice or not.

These are just some of the reasons I do not agree with Obamacare.

I do agree there needs to be something done with our health system in America. I do not believe that Obamacare is the solution. I do believe that there ARE Pro's for Obamacare just like their are Con's. I do believe people will benefit from Obamacare. Personally I don't agree.

In my world - this can and will affect me and my family in a very negative way.

- - - - - - -

I have never been a vocal person about politics. Mainly because you always have to argue with someone that doesn't know what they are talking about or the extremist that just takes it way to far. It seems rare to have a conversation with someone that believes differently without it getting out of hand now a days. Honestly, I just don't need to add a reason to have drama in my life.

Don't get me wrong though - I do stand up for what I believe in. I just choose not to be in a constant confrontation with people over it.

A lot of our views and opinions I believe have everything to do with our life experiences, religion, up bringing (or lack there of) and/or personalities.

My friends and family vary from each side of the spectrum. From extremist on both sides, in the middle, to the ones with no opinion at all. You know what? I love every one of them. I do not have to believe in your way of thinking and believing just as you don't have to believe in mine. I will respect you and I ask you to do the same to me. It really is that simple.

Unlike most people I know, I do listen and hear out all sides. I make my opinion based on that. I don't base my opinions on what side of the fence a politician is on. On Facebook I will 'Like' pages in all areas and sides of politics because I want to be informed by all sides - not one. We are in a time where I believe you should research and make sure you are well informed because one side is going to be more honest than the other.

After everything I have read today and researched in the past, it is evident that we are losing our rights little by little.  The government is not stupid enough to come in over night and just strip all of our rights. BUT what they WILL and ARE doing is coming in little by little and taking them away. One day we are going to wake up and our daily life is going to be managed by the government if we don't step up and do something now.


What are you going to do about it?

90 Day Challenge - Week 4

Monday will be the start of week four for my 90 Day Challenge. I am  honestly a little - no, A LOT nervous about the start of week four.

Why, you ask?

Well my 90 day challenge consists of 2 things.
1. Body by Vi Challenge
2. Couch to 5k Challenge

The first one is pretty simple. Sort of. Originally I started off replacing my breakfast and lunch with the shake. The big problem with that was I was starving all day and not getting enough calories. So then I switched it up and just ate a bunch of smaller meals all day and I think I went over a couple of times (very minimal). Finally I decided(ish) to just have my two shakes around breakfast and lunch time, watch what I eat all day and stay under my calorie limit. I will admit, I do stress about it all and I do have a hard time hitting my daily goal. More on all that another time.

The second challenge is a biggie. I am starting to question myself on why I decided to do this. I have ZERO interest in running a 5K. I think it might be cool to do one day and say I did it, but not so cool that I am looking forward to doing one yet.

I love the way I feel AFTER I run. Over all in the past 4 weeks of running I can tell a difference on the days I run and days I dont run physically and mentally. I really like the after affects, but I dont know that I like them enough to want to make running 'my thing'.

My problem is - this past week (Week 3) on the Couch to 5K - it KICKED. MY. BUTT. For the first time in who knows how many years I ran for 3 minutes in a row, without stopping.

Now lets pause for a minute while I say 

"Yeah Me!!" and pat myself on the back.

It may have kicked my butt.... But I WON!!

Okay, so back to what I was saying. Week 4 has me running 5 minutes at a time. I. DON'T WANT TO! This isnt a matter of giving up. I honestly have no interest in doing it. I just want the exercise and calories to burn. I dont want to run 5 minutes in a row. (Yes I am completely throwing a tantrum here).

See... because of my personality - I am stuck. I started this C25K and I feel like even if I never run a 5k. Even if I hate running. I need to finish this. (Insert rolling eyes, major sighs, and pouty face here).

Looks like I am going to just have to put my best food forward and trudge on. I cannot promise there won't be anymore whining though!

Little disclaimer here... I am running more than 3 minutes. It is an over all 30 minute run/speed walk with fast/slow intervals. I think in all I run 10 minutes with a 5 minute warm up and cool down and 10 minutes of speed walking. Next week its more... 

My Personal Challenges

Originally I was going to name this post - My Personal Challenge. Then I realized that I have to add a 's' to the word 'challenge'. The main current challenge I am under has created a multitude other challenges. So it's only fair I talk about them all. 

Here, let me start from the beginning and explain.

My MAIN Personal Challenge: 

Get into better shape and lose this extra weight

We have all been there done, done that... right? You try and eat right, exercise, diet, supplements, count calories, energy drinks/pills - you name it, you've done it... right? 

Well not me. Nope, I have not done it all. Not even close to it actually. 

I have exercised some at times. I have counted calories some at other times. However, I have never dieted, used supplements, completely ate right, taken metabolism boosters or anything along those lines. 

Why? Well why should I? In my mind I have been eating just fine. I am not an over eater. I dont over indulge frequently on my meals/desserts. Actually, I usually don't even eat that much in one days time. I am mindful of what I eat. I don't do diets because I have zero desire to starve myself or eat nasty food. I don't take anything that is going to make my heart race a million miles a minute - simply because I don't like that feeling.  Oh and did I forget to mention I hate exercising? Exercising bores me to death. 

At the end of the day I still have a big problem though. I am over weight and out of shape. 

Now I do have a good excuse on why I added so much weight. I believe a lot of people do actually have a good reason. Personally my added weight is the result of a surgery that I just took forever to heal from. This surgery kept me from doing anything for almost 6 months. Anything that resembled exercise was completely nixed for awhile. Since this surgery was done in my stomach area that made it just that much worse. Then when you add on everything that happened after that the weight came on insanely easy.

The thing is though - even though I can validate as to why I am in this predicament. I cannot validate why I have not gotten myself out of it. 

So here I am 34, out of shape, over weight and truthfully lazy when it comes to working out. 

Some Smaller Challenges

Distance. Cost. Timing.

So now that I am ready to do something (again). I started running into a couple of other challenges. 

We live almost 20min away from the closest gym. I am just not interested in driving a 45min round trip + gas + a monthly fee to a gym just to go do something I hate - exercise. Especially by myself. Not happening.

There is also the issue the places I have found that I am interested in - don't have anything at the times I need them or they cost an arm and a leg.

Ugh. More challenges. 

There always seems to be a reason or an excuse on why I can't make it better. However, I am praying and I am hoping that I have found what works for ME. 

If It Works For You - DO IT!

August 26th I started the Body By Vi 90 Day Weight Loss Challenge. I have been hearing about this stuff forever. I have also been looking into doing it for months. I have researched it, talked to people that have taken it and have heard tons of success stories. I honestly wasn't sold on anything until today. (I'll explain why later). 

Before I started my 90 Day Challenge I had lots of cream with some coffee in the mornings and during the school year I rarely eat breakfast or lunch. Im either not hungry, busy or I forget.  I just snack here and there. Then I would have a decent size dinner. Sometimes healthy - sometimes not. I rarely drank water. Actually I didnt drink much of anything during the day. Im just not a thirsty person. In my mind I should be losing weight. Im not putting enough in to gain weight... or so I thought. 

First off. I am totally not writing this to sell this to anyone. This is completely to share my experience of weight loss. I am also writing this to keep as a diary for me personally and have just decided to share it with the world :)

Skeptical: I have been just that - skeptical. How can drinking two shakes a day help me lose weight? Well I have found that it won't. Goes against everything they are selling right? Here the thing, the shakes HELP you in your weight loss. You still need to eat right and watch your calorie intake. It is not a miracle shake. But it can help create that weight loss miracle if done correctly.

Ingredients: I am not hip on all the ingredients in the shake. Why? Well its as my husband says - if you cannot pronounce all the ingredients or there is more then a few listed - you shouldn't eat it. Well that would be nice if I was to the point I could do that and honestly I am not sure that I ever will be. However I looked at it like this. I am trying to better myself. When I am snacking I am intaking things that are pretty bad to my system. Not to mention the fat and calorie intake. So I ask myself again... why wouldn't I replace my crappy snacks with something that is HELPING me in my weight loss? Good question, right?

Cost: Back in the day $99 for a months worth of breakfast and lunches would make sense. But since I don't really eat out anymore during the day I had a hard time coming to terms with that dollar amount. I am very frugal and a tight wad with extra things like this. But if I look at all my other options in financial terms... this really is a good deal if it helps me. 

Commitment and Time: Yikes. This also rolls into the skeptical and cost areas. I am skeptical if I can do it for 90 days and I dont want to waste $99 for three months by not following through with it. Plus I. Love. Food. I really do. I didn't want to lose my lunch and breakfasts on the weekends with the family. Honestly Im not a huge fan of shakes either. Who has time to think up of all these shakes? Ugh. 

My Decision: In the end regardless of all the challenges I seemed to keep finding - I decided to do it. The Pros out weigh the Cons. Plus my health should take a much higher precedence than I have been giving it.

My Current Challenges

Vi Shake - Currently I am doing great with the shake. Its been almost a week and a half and I have not missed one. The first two days was the hardest. Since I have never done protein shakes or anything along those lines, I had a small adjustment period with experimenting with the taste, ingredients and timing. I have found tons of recipes online for various shakes. My favorite is mixing International Delight Light Iced Coffee with that and Almond Milk. Mmmmm. I could do that every shake and I probably would if I didn't keep running out of it. 

Lesson Learned: The first few days I was on the shake I all of a sudden felt like I was constantly starving and thirsty. My water intake has become insane. I don't so much feel cotton mouthed as I am just thirsty. That is a GREAT issue to have. The hunger - not so cool. After talking with someone else that takes the Body By Vi I realized I was doing it wrong. Even though I was supplementing my breakfast and lunch with a shake - I was not putting enough calories in my diet. Essentially I was starving myself. Once I figured that out, I started watching my calories and eating smarter. It all came together in the end.

Calories, Low Fat & Sugar Free: I was pretty sure I knew everything about these subjects. Boy was I wrong. The biggest thing Ive learned about calories? I have been STARVING myself of them or GORGING myself with the wrong ones. And it matters.

Lets start with calories. I have counted them before, but evidently I wasn't doing it enough or I was doing it wrong. Holy cow is there some serious calories in just every day food!!!! Breads? Cheeses? Pastas? Pastries? Ugh. ALL MY FAVORITE FOODS!!! Even when you go to get your 'quick fix' at the gas station. Do you know how hard it is to find something that will help with that hunger without it being over 400 calories? Its insane. No wonder our nation is over weight. Once I downloaded an app to help track my calories and started counting EVERYTHING - I realized how even though I didnt eat a lot during the day, the things I DID eat were so very bad for me and were not going to help me in weight loss. So now I try and stay under 1550 calories a day. Its not nearly as hard as I thought it would be. Especially when I add in the right foods.

Low Fat, Sugar Free, Light: Those should all be under false advertisement to some extent. Now I am not saying EVERYTHING that has that labeled is bad, but I am learning a lot of it is. I started looking at ingredients on things labeled like the above and even though it may be true that they are in fact sugar free - do you see what they are replacing it with?? Its stuff worse then whats in the real thing! For instance something I learned today. I LOVE my 90 calorie yogurt. Its Light and Fat Free... Oh but wait.. Theres Aspartame in it??? Ya I think natural sugar is MUCH better than that.

Definition of Aspartame: a very sweet substance used as an artificial sweetener, chiefly in low-calorie products. It is a derivative of aspartic acid and phenylalanine.

As you see there are tons to learn with this.

Exercise: Yep Im doing it. The one thing I hate. I am learning to have a love-hate relationship with it. I decided I wanted to do more than the shake and eat right. I needed to add something. I have a working treadmill here at home just sitting here gathering dust. So I downloaded the Couch to  5K app and started using it. Other than me completing the first day without passing out, the big thing was the amount of CALORIES I lost! AND when I put that information into My Fitness Pal App it showed that I could add more calories to that day!! now that was worth the run :)

Where I am Now: The biggest and greatest news - that has now also made me a believer instead of skeptic is I have officially lost - TEN POUNDS!! Yeah ME!! So what I am doing is working!!

Currently I have my two shakes a day. Sometimes as a meal and other times as a snack. If I eat lunch out or at home I watch the calories. It really is that simple.

I keep healthy snacks at home so I don't eat the wrong ones.

I have decided to have one cheat meal a week. Although I haven't let myself yet. I am happy where I am. I am also coming to terms with the fact that a little ice cream or indulgence now and then wont hurt me or ruin what I am doing. Just as long as I stay on track. 

I use my Fitness App to help keep track of my run/walks and calorie intake. Seeing the numbers makes a difference.

Over all I honestly feel so much better and have tons more energy. Just ask my family!

Well if youve managed to make it this far in my ramble - thanks for taking your time to do so. Hopefully I wasn't to negative - but taking care of yourself isnt always that easy. I believe we all have a lot of the same thoughts, fears and challenges. Sometimes it helps to write about them and others to read them.

If you have any questions, comments or want more information on anything I have written about just let me know. You can comment here or email me at irisa.mitchell@gmail.com.

Long time no see.....

Well, I guess technically it would be 'write' not 'see'... Either way, I cannot believe it has been since May 7th! Needless to say our summer got crazy with a quickness when school let out. I really thought I would have some time to write over the summer, but I think my brain was usually too tired or I wasn't able to sit still long enough.

Our summer started off with having 3 of our niece and nephews visit from NE Missouri for a week. It was a very laid back and have fun sort of week. They are also the perfect age to where they can take care of themselves and help out. We love having them here.

The next week or so my husband and I had the pleasure of going away for an extended weekend to celebrate our anniversary and just have some much needed time together. With all our craziness, we havent had that since we were on our honeymoon! Thankfully we were blessed with our daughter and Granny staying at our farm and keeping everything in order for us.

Once June started - thats when things went crazy. Not in a bad way though, well maybe sometimes :) It started off with me making a 9hr trip one way to meet my sister and 3 nieces, stay the night and then come back the next day with the girls. (Can you say EXHAUSTING?!?!) We had so much fun with them here though. It was a fast learning experience going from one 14yr old teenager to a 13yr old, 5yr old and 2yr old! Some days I wasnt sure if I could do it anymore from the pure exhaustion! After almost 2mths of them here we did it all over again and made the long haul back. I can honestly say now that it is all said and done -  I would totally do it again. Cant wait to have them back!

Near the end of the summer we got to spend a little time with family that came down to visit from the St. Louis area. We spent a day hanging out at an amusement park and then back home for a sleep over and some farm fun.

We are truly blessed for all the friends and family that are able to come and visit us. I am not sure what we would do without them. The one big thing I have learned about a having a farm in the past year plus of living here - is it is a 24/7 commitment. That means missing holidays with family that live far from us, not being able to visit back home when we'd like, missing birthdays, family get togethers, etc... When you have other lives (even if they are animals) that depend on you - you just can't leave them to fend for themselves. We can't say thank you enough to those that go out of their way to see us and those that are understanding. It means the world.

At the end of the day - I love our life here, the friends we are making, people we are meeting and the opportunities that we have been given. Though the sacrifices may sometimes be great, I wouldn't have it any other way. (Well, maybe a closer Starbucks or store would be nice..lol ) And for me to say the last two sentences... You know I have come a long way as well!

Oh and two last things...

The first one is rather big. At the beginning of August my husband started teaching Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu again! For those that know him, they also know that jiu-jitsu is a part of him. I am very excited for this new adventure that lies ahead. The plus side to all of this and something that has made him glow with pride - our daughter started taking his class and training with him. Now Jiu-Jitsu has become a family thing in our home. If you are in the area on Tuesday or Thursday nights, please drop in and say hi! Oh and of course you should totally go and 'Like' his page: Ozark Mountain Jiu-Jitsu.

The second and last things is - At the beginning of the spring/summer our cat Lucy had 4 adorably cute baby kittens. Sadly, before we could get her neutered she became pregnant again. So after getting rid of 4... we now have SIX kittens to find new homes for. Lets hope she doesn't get pregnant again before she weens these babies!

Copy Cat Chick-fil-a Nuggets & Sauce

Last week we tried this recipe and LOVED it! It is as close as you can get of the real thing without actually going to Chick-fil-a. For us that is a miracle since the closest one is about 30 minutes away.

I will give you the recipe I worked off of and put notes of what I did different or added.

This original recipe serves 2. Other than the chicken breasts, I doubled all the ingredients below.

Chick-fil-a Copy Cat Nuggets
Ingredients:
2 large chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces and seasoned with salt & pepper
I used a little over 2lbs of chicken tenderloins and it was enough to have left overs with 3 people eating it.
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup dill pickle juice
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup peanut oil, divided (I used regular vegetable oil)

Directions:
1. Whisk together eggs, milk, and pickle juice. Pour into large ziplock bag or bowl. Add cut chicken pieces and marinate in fridge for 2 - 4 hours (We did it about 2.5 hrs)
2. Combine flower, powdered sugar, salt and pepper in a large ziplock bag. Shake to combine. Remove chicken from the marinade and add into the bag. Shake to coat the chicken completely.
3. Heat half of the oil in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium0high heat. Test the oil by dropping a bit of flower into the mixture. If it sizzles it is ready, if it pops, lower the temp a bit.
4. Gently place the chicken into the oil. Do this in two batches, as you do not want to overcrowd the pan. Cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown on one side. Turn the chicken over and cook for 3-4 more minutes. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Heat the remaining oil and continue with other half of chicken.


Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt (we used plain yogurt)
1 1/2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey
Smoky BBQ Sauce to taste (approximately 2 table spoons)

Mix together all ingredients, taste as you mix for desired taste.
Serve with hot chicken bites.

Note: For our chicken we had two pans going simultaneously to help out. When a batch was finished we put them in a baking pan in the oven at about 200 so they stay warm and crispy until ready.

Unique Garden Decor

Are you looking for a fun way to spruce up your lawn and landscaping? Are you on a budget and need something cost conscience?

Here is a GREAT eye catching and cost conscience idea!

Paint flower pots with Rustoleum's "Glow in the Dark" paint. Absorbs sunlight by day & 

glows at night !!! Great landscape and gardening idea !

Not sure who to credit for this photo. If it is yours I will happily do so!

SPRING IS HERE!!!

Well this week there is not much on tap for new recipes. I do have a mushroom sauce I am thinking about trying to make possibly and a peach crunch dessert dish. The dessert may get put on hold thanks to the amazing Cheesecake Factory Cheesecake my AWESOME husband brought home yesterday.

Part of this week and some of last was Spring Break for our daughter. She got to spend most of it seeing a lot of her family back in St. Louis and even had a surprise visit from her grandparents that lives in Michigan. Now that she is back home it looks like it is time to do some spring cleaning with her this week.

First on tap is cleaning out her bedroom. Oy.. I think I a getting a headache thinking about it. She is 14. So you can only imagine what her room is like. The room is normally cluttered with clothing of every type and littered with perfumes, shoes, magazines, gift wrappings.... you name it - its there. We are normally not to hard on her about this (as long as there is no actual garbage) as there are tons of other important things in the world to worry about. But it's about time it gets a nice good cleaning.

Next up is her bathroom, which is also the main bathroom for the house. Ever since we moved here we have been needing to spruce it up. It is just one of those rooms that is going to be awkward to paint because of how it is laid out. I am also very hesitant on the paint. We have a dark blue (not sure of the exact name) color and it is a smaller bathroom. But that is the color she wants for the bathroom so we are going to try it!

Last, but definitely not close to being least is child proofing and making the house child friendly. A few of our nieces coming are coming to stay with us this summer for a couple of weeks. In 73 days from today to be exact. As much as I cannot wait for them to get here, I have a million things I need to get done. Two of them that are coming are ages 2 and 5. I haven't had that age living here in almost 10 years! So needless to say, our spring cleaning this year is going to have a lot to do with making life a whole lot easier on them and us while they are here. 

Then there is everything else.... the list is going to just keep growing from here. But I am not complaining yet. I LOVE Spring and Summer. Everything seems more alive.... it is sunny outside, the smell of fresh cut grass, swimming, BBQ's, impromptu road trips, schools out, fur babies are born, flip flops, shorts, vacations... it is as if everything just comes back alive from the cold dreary season of Winter.

Unfortunately as I am typing this right now, it is 30 something degrees and it is lightly sleeting and snow flurries. Uggh... It is no wonder I feel like I am going to go crazy this time of year!

Well my final update is the 'announcement' of our new furry additions. Yes - you read that right. Our barn cat Lucy had her kittens about 2 and a half weeks ago. Sadly (in my case) I haven't been able to hold them or get pictures of them yet. She had them in our barn on  the roof of a separate room that is in there. When my husband was finally able to get up there and look - they were gone. This week I found them at the bottom of a box. Unfortunately this box is about 5ft deep and there is TONS of stuff in it. I am really not quite sure how Lucy was able to make space and get them in and out of there. But at the right angle with a flash light you can just barely see the kittens if they are in the right spot. It looks as though there are only three of them. There is an orange kitten, a grayish with white striped kitten and a black/gray/white striped kitten. Of course they are adorable. We are hoping to give them away when they are big enough. I am just praying that I am able to handle them sooner than later so they don't become scared of humans. Then we will really have our hands full!

Here's to warm days, brighter skies and lighter hearts!

Pasta for me - Meat for them

This week another family 'hit' was made... with dinner that is....

I made a new recipe called - Italian Sausage Rigatoni. There are quite a few great things to love about this recipe. 

Here are just a few:

- It is very versatile. You can adjust one or more ingredients and have a completely different meal.
- The meat is chunky enough where a non-meat lover as myself doesn't have to eat it - but there is enough pasta, sauce and vegetables that I can still enjoy it!
- A budget friendly dinner
- Last but not least - It is easy and a great one dish dinner.


This recipe will definitely be made again!

Italian Sausage Rigatoni

Ingredients

-       - 1 19.76 ounce package Italian Mild Sausage links

-       - 2 6 ounces of tomato basil pasta sauce

-       - 1 16 ounce package rigatoni pasta

-       - 1 large red pepper

-       - 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

-       - 3 table spoons olive oil

-       - 2 cloves garlic

       Directions

       - Mince garlic and set aside

       - Chop red pepper and set aside

       - Coin-slice sausage and cook according to package directions, keep warm.

       - Cook rigatoni according to directions, keep warm.

       - In large pan, place olive oil and garlic, sauté lightly for 30 seconds.

       - Add peppers and cook until crisp and tender.

       - Combine cooked sausage and pasta sauce with peppers and heat until warm.

       - Mix pasta with sauce or serve separately.

       - Top with fresh parsley and serve warm.

No Chemical Mosquito Repellent

Homemade Mosquito Repellent

Here is what you will need:

4 tablespoons Vanilla Extract

10 drops Lemon Eucalyptus Oil

15 drops Lavender Oil

1/4 cup Lemon Juice

1 - 160z spray bottle

Directions:

Add all liquids above into bottle & shake. 

Repellent is ready to use, just spray on yourself!

These would also be great to give away as presents for house warming, family/friend get together, party, or a friendly neighbor gift!

It's raining..... MEATBALLS!!!

Well its not technically raining them. But it is what we had with dinner one night this week.

Meatballs are my way of 'cheating' with having meat with our spaghetti. Personally I would eat spaghetti with just noodles and sauce. But since my family demands meat it unfortunately means I cannot get away with a meatless spaghetti. This also usually means when I am done eating spaghetti there is a pile of meat on the bottom of the plate. I don't pick it out of my food really, but I don't work to hard to eat it either. 

Meatballs are a nice fix for this issue. I don't have to put them on my plate unless i just one or two and my family can eat them to their hearts desire. 

This recipe is a nice and easy one yet still hearty and tasty. If you are a busy mom or dad and don't have time to cook every night, these are great if you make them ahead of time, let them cool and then freeze them. 




Quick & Easy Meatballs

Serving Size: 3 - 5
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 - 30 minutes

Ingredients

- 1lb ground beef
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoon water
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup minced onions (you may want less if you do not like onions)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Kitchenware

- Measuring cups and spoons
- Broiler pan
- Large mixing bowl

Directions

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- In your large bowl combine all ingredients and mush with your hands to combine.
- Form meatballs into 1" balls and place onto broiler pan.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until meatballs are no longer pink.
- Add to your favorite sauce, recipe or cool and freeze.

One of the finished trays.. the other had about triple the amount.

Dear Diary ... Let's Talk About HFCS

Here is a fun post for you - High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). Do I still have your attention? I am sure I will lose a few readers here. But I am writing this not only for the reader, but for myself. 

My family and I recently jumped on this HFCS train. I am not even really sure where I heard about it. Maybe something on the news, family or Facebook? The more I do learn and read about it, the more I am surprised how unaware I was of it and it's dangers. Seems as though our government is killing us slowly and quietly. 

I recently googled HFCS. Funny enough Wikipedia did not really speak too much of it's dangers or why it is bad. I wonder if Wikipedia is secretly ran by the government? :) Anyways - here is what HFCS is:

High-fructose corn syrup is a manmade sweetener.

Lets read it again....

High-fructose corn syrup is a manmade sweetener.

See the problem here? MANMADE SWEETENER. Well... if we are being honest here those two words should be the first thing that stops us. BUT since we want to try and trust 'man'... we don't.

So lets read more on how this manmade sweetener is created...

Corn kernels are soaked in warm water containing sulfur dioxide. This warm solution hydrates the kernels and makes it easier to separate its starch, hull, protein and oil components. After soaking, the kernels are wet milled to remove the oil containing germ. Next, the remaining corn starch is washed. Three types of enzymes are added to the resulting starch and water mixture to break down the starch into glucose and fructose and create the desired balance of the two. Courtesy of eHow.

Now of course this is taken from an article online and you can't go by everything you read online as I am sure there are many parts that are hidden from us consumers. This does however give us basic knowledge of what it is and how it is made.

Reading just this short excerpt should be enough for us to not put this in our bodies. Right? But unfortunately it is not. I mean honestly it just sounds like bunch of mumbo jumbo and doesn't make a whole lot of sense to the average person.

So lets move on to the 2 main health concerns HFCS is linked to:

Obesity

Diabetes

Now, lets take this into consideration:

In the 1960's Japan started producing HFCS and then in the 1970's HFCS entered America's supply system. Since then statistics show our obesity & diabetes rates have sky rocketed. 

Why?

HFCS is found in our soda, bread, BBQ sauce, salad dressings, jams, ice cream, peanut butter, and so many other countless every day foods.

Sad, right?

Through my various research there are of course the websites that say HFCS really isn't that bad. They try to compare it to regular table sugar and tell you how it is similar and almost the same. There are professors and leaders that are helping with this advertisement. I mean you can't blame companies that are as big as Archer Daniels Midland, Cargill, Ingredion Incorporated, Tate & Lyle and Pendford to pay for advertising that says their product is okay. These companies also happen to belong to the Corn Refiners Association who creates the advertising campaigns through print and television that try and bust the "myths" on the harm of HFCS.

To be fair to both sides. I did read websites like Sweet Surprise that gives their side and options on why they believe HFCS is not harmful to us. I will admit they are convincing. But in the end I am not convinced.

In reading through all the information I have come to these two main conclusions.

- Sugar is sugar. When HFCS is compared to sugar - they both are bad. They both need to be eaten in moderation and they both can cause the same health problems. One of our big problems in our generations is we have forgotten what the word MODERATION means when it comes to food.

- I believe that HFCS and sugar are not processed in the body the same way as some articles for HFCS have stated. Nor do I believe that HFCS is 'natural'.

I have listed below just a very few of the websites that I have come across with HFCS information. Some are Pro and some are Cons. Take some time yourself to read through these and form your own opinion. I am just a mom and wife trying to make healthier decisions for my family. You should too!

5 Reasons High Fructose Corn Syrup Will Kill You - drhyman.com - This is by far my favorite article. 

How Is High Fructose Corn Syrup Made? - eHow.com

Is High Fructose Corn Syrup bad for you? - Eatingwell.com

The Facts about High Fructose Corn Syrup - SweetSurprise.com

The Truth about High Fructose Corn Syrup - sparkpeople.com

The Secrets of Manufacturing High Fructose Corn Syrup - blog.fooducate.com

A Sweetener With a Bad Rap - nytimes.com