Far Above Rubies

Healthy, Low Cost Food Choices

{ Posted by Kitty }
{ 5:45 PM, Wednesday, November 12, 2008 } { Posted in Frugal Tips } { 1 comments } { Link }

I found this article while surfing around.

No matter what your economic hardships are, you always want to invest in your own health and eat the foods that will nourish you and give you valuable nutrients. There is no substitute for proper nutrition, and today's savings on foods can spell tomorrow's medical bills. That said, there are ways to have it both ways - healthy and economical. Here are some tips to get you started:

1. Produce that is big in health, small in price
Here are some healthy autumn staples that won't break the bank.

• Vitamin-rich vegetables can become the centerpiece of your meals without putting a dent in your wallet. In season right now are broccoli, mustard greens, arugula, bok choi, chard, carrots, onions, parsnips, sweet potatoes, leeks, beets, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, mushrooms, and squashes of all shapes and sizes.

• Opt for apples, pears, and cranberries for inexpensive fruits packed with nutrients.

• Some healthy, flavorful foods that can spice up any dish are ginger, garlic, burdock, scallions, and parsley.

2. Get protein from less expensive sources

Soy Products: Get in touch with tofu, which is much less expensive than high-quality meat. Tofu, or bean curd, has very little flavor of its own, so it can be seasoned or marinated to work with any dish. You can get more mileage out of your scrambled eggs by combining half soft tofu and half eggs. How about making a vegetable stir fry that is seventy percent bean curd and thirty percent meat. Low in calories and relatively high in protein, iron, and fiber, soy is filled with histidine, an amino acid that helps your body digest protein, protect red blood cells, and maintain healthy immune function.

Beans and legumes also cost very little, but bring a robust flavor and a bounty of benefits to your health. Beans and legumes are packed with protein and fiber, provide the good kind of fat, and are loaded with complex carbohydrates, the nutrients that provide energy to the body. And you can buy in bulk - another savings tip - because dried beans and legumes will keep their quality for 6-12 months in an airtight glass container stored in a cool, dry place.

Whole Grains: Few other foods offer such a diverse array of benefits at such a small cost. A good source of dietary fiber, protein, and essential fatty acids, whole grains are filling and delicious. Also, there is much evidence that suggests eating whole grains reduces the risks of coronary heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and obesity. Try barley, brown rice, oats, quinoa, rice, rye, sorghum, spelt, organic wheat pasta, buckwheat pasta, and amaranth. Again, you can buy in bulk and store in glass containers for up to 6 months.

3. Smart tips about leftovers
When you make more than one meal at a time, you save money and time. The trick is to plan in advance so that nothing goes to waste. Get creative so that you don't end up eating the same meal over and over. Yesterday's chili can be today's Southwestern quesadillas and tomorrow's stuffed bell peppers.

4. Soup: the low-cost, low-calorie superhero
Not only is soup one of the healthiest ways to fill up, due to the ease at which the body can assimilate liquid nutrients, it is also one of the most cost-effective. Yet another bonus? Studies have shown that soup, because if its liquid content, is a wonderful way to lose weight. You can use the vegetable scraps from the preparation of other meals to make your own vegetable broth. Nothing could be simpler than throwing in leek tops, onion remainders - whatever is left over - in boiling water with a couple of garlic cloves. It's healthier than the high-sodium canned broth found in the market, and perfect for making soups or sautéing vegetables with.

5. Eat in
Eating out is fastest way to blow the budget. Get in the habit of bringing lunch with you. Be adventurous; bagged lunch doesn't have to be a sandwich every day. Get a short wide stainless steel thermos and bring soup, marinated vegetables and couscous, or eggplant parmesan - whatever will satisfy and inspire your tastebuds.

For dinner, why not prepare a fancy, candle-lit meal? Go all out and have an appetizer, a main course, and even a dessert, just like the restaurant you are dreaming of going to. To make it yourself is an enjoyable, creative experience - and it will cost less and taste better. Another option is to throw a party. Have a potluck where each of your friends brings a dish, and have fun being on a budget together.

6. Leave the bottle behind
Buying a bottle of water every day, or sometimes several times a day can really add up! Instead of subtracting from your wallet and adding to the recycling bin, invest in a water filtration system. What seems like a big cost at first ends up saving you money - and the environment - in the long run.

7. Grow your own food
Bring back the victory garden! Start simply by just growing your own sprouts in a jar. Then upgrade to making your own yogurt. Eventually, as weather in your region allows, start planting a garden of fresh herbs and vegetables that will bring you a bounty of health benefits. Take it one step farther and learn how to preserve your food - you will be stocked no matter what. And nothing tastes better than food you have grown and prepared yourself.

I hope you find the ways to eat well on a budget! I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.

May you live long, live strong, and live happy!

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This is sooooo sad!

{ Posted by Kitty }
{ 9:36 AM, Wednesday, November 12, 2008 } { Posted in Just my thoughts } { 6 comments } { Link }

Every year around this time with my husband working the long hours that he does at the mill for the ginding season, we always are blessed with enough money to pay off any and all bills that might have built up through out the year, and have a wonderful Christmas. So each year for Christmas I always try to find a group or charity to give a little extra too. I like to do things like give gifts to people or children that might not get gifts, like the Jesse Tree or Angel tree, things like that. So I was thinking that now that mom is in the nursing home maybe there were a few residents in the home that had family out of town or maybe had little or no family left that would enjoy getting something to unwrap on Christmas morning. I was thinking that I could afford to buy for maybe six or seven of them something, thinking that there was only a few of them.

So yesterday I headed to the home to visit with mom and pay her room and board for the month. While I was taking care of the bill I asked if there were any residents who fit the profile of my little plan. Some one that might enjoy a little something to open on Christmas morning. Well what she said shocked me. She told me that I couldn't afford to buy that many gifts. I asked her what she was talking about. She told me that out of the 72 residents in the home, I would have to supply gifts for at least 65 of them.

I could not believe that these people's family don't bring them gifts for Christmas? She said no, and that about that many of them don't get visitors at all. Well this bought tears to my eyes. This is horrible, how can you just drop your mom, dad, grandparents or any other loved one off at the door and just forget about them. This upsets me to no end.

I know that my mom can longer open a gift or even understand whats gong on around her anymore, with the Alzehimers. But there are many of these people who are still walking around, feeding and dressing themselves, and still may know that it's Christmas day. We buy mom everything she needs on a daily basis, so a gift is of no use really, BUT we were going to bring her a big Christmas feast and feed it to her. I also planed to bring flowers and/or ballons, something that she can look at, something that might stimulate her brain. If I come up with something that she might need or would possible somehow want, she will get it, but for now, it's flowers and ballons.

As for the other residents in the home, may God watch and keep over them. This is just sooooo sad!

The Gift

{ Posted by Kitty }
{ 9:20 AM, Tuesday, November 11, 2008 } { Posted in Sharing and Caring } { 1 comments } { Link }

There was
a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind.. She
hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always
there for her. She told her boyfriend, 'If I could only see
the world, I will marry you.'

One day,
someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages
came off, she was able to see everything, including her
boyfriend.

He asked
her,'Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?' The
girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The
sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn't expected
that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life
led her to refuse to marry him.

Her
boyfriend left in tears and days later wrote a note to her
saying: 'Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before
they were yours, they were mine.'

This is
how the human brain often works when our status changes.
Only a very few remember what life was like before, and who
was always by their side in the most painful situations.

Life Is a
Gift

Today
before you say an unkind word - Think of someone who can't
speak.

Before
you complain about the taste of your food - Think of someone
who has nothing to eat.

Before
you complain about your husband or wife - Think of someone
who's crying out to GOD for a companion.

Today
before you complain about life - Think of someone who went
too early to heaven.

Before
whining about the distance you drive Think of someone who
walks the same distance with their feet.

And when
you are tired and complain about your job - Think of the
unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your
job.

And when
depressing thoughts seem to get you down - Put a smile on
your face and think: you're alive and still
around.

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The Simple Woman's Daybook ----Nov. 10th

{ Posted by Kitty }
{ 2:05 PM, Monday, November 10, 2008 } { Posted in Simple Woman's Daybook } { 0 comments } { Link }

For Today...

Outside my window... its a little grey and windy, not too cold buy chilly. Tipical Louisiana fall day.

I am thinking...about how I need to go get ready to run an errand.

From the learning rooms... Zachary is learning about all the bones in the body. He is about half way there.

I am thankful for...my children.. why I get up in the morning.

I am wearing... shamefully at 1:07 pm I'm still in PJs. Flannel pants with a Dukes of Hazzard t-shirt, lol Oh and pink fuzzy slippers.

From the kitchen... a large pork roast that I roasted in the oven along with potatoes, carrots, celery, and onions. Also some field peas and rice. Tomorrow I will turn that roast into pulled pork sammies, good stuff.

I am reading... Your Best Life Now by Joel Osteen

I am hoping... for a small amount of rain to wash away some of the dust that the tractors are making around my home.

I am creating... fleece scarves for Christmas gifts.

Around the house...the sound of the mill working and the tractors passing all hours of the day and night kicking up dust all over my house. It's hard to hang out my laundry without having to run them through the dryer to get the dust off.

One of my favorite things...is getting up early in the morning before everyone else and spending time with God and His word, and that first sip of coffee.

A few plans for the rest of the week...home most of the week, not too much I have to leave for, maybe a gallon of milk or a loaf of bread here and there, and a couple of visits to the home to check on mom.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you

A view of my back ditch. Wild vines growing all over everything, which is a good thing. Isn't it great how God's beauty can hide the ugly?

If you would like to join the Woman's Daybook meme, you can link on at Peggy's blog.

10 Certainties to Count On

{ Posted by Kitty }
{ 7:06 PM, Saturday, November 8, 2008 } { 1 comments } { Link }

Now that the Election is over, and either your candidate won or
  lost, let us remember who is still in control. That certainty we may
  be sure of indeed, and these certainties will remain also...

  No Matter Who Wins the Election, or Who Triumphs
  in the World

1. The Bible will still have all the answers.

2. Prayer will still work.

3. The Holy Spirit will still move.

4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.

5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.

6. There will still be singing of praise to God.

7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.

8. There will still be room at the Cross for   repentant sinners.

9.   Jesus will still love you.

10. Jesus will still save the lost.

  Now, Isn't it great to know Who is still in control? Amen.

For this God is our God forever and ever;
He will be our guide even to the end.
( Psalms 48:14 )

Windsor Castle & Saturday's Musings

{ Posted by Page }
{ 08:45, Saturday, November 8, 2008 } { Posted in Journal } { 4 comments } { Link }

On Thursday, DH & I decided to go to Windsor for the day - this is only about 40 minutes away from where we live. The weather wasn't brilliant but it was still a lovely day out. We didn't go inside Windsor Castle (that will be for another day). DH has not been to Windsor for around 20 years & I haven't been for about 10 years - quite a lot has changed regarding the town.

Here are some photos:

On the way to & back from Windsor - we drove through Windsor Great Park, the colours of the trees was just absolutely stunning. I wish we could have stopped so I could have taken more photos of the tree so you could see what I mean. Here are a couple of photos:

This morning, I made a pineapple upside down cake (DH loves this cake), two mincemeat cakes plus pumpkin soup. This is the first time I have made the soup and it is quite yummy :)

This afternoon I am working and then the evening will be spent chilling out. Tomorrow is church and DH is cooking a roast beef dinner (that's tomorrow :) ).

Have a wonderful blessed weekend :)

I forgot ...............to add this house/shop - can you see how it is leaning to one side!

What your food cravings mean

{ Posted by Kitty }
{ 10:49 AM, Friday, November 7, 2008 } { Posted in Helpful Hints and Tips } { 5 comments } { Link }

What your food cravings mean

Compiled by Doug Setter of 2nd Wind Body Science
doug@2ndwindbodyscience.com

If you crave this…
What you really need is…
And here are healthy foods that have it:

Chocolate
Magnesium
Raw nuts and seeds, legumes, fruits

Sweets
Chromium
Broccoli, grapes, cheese, dried beans, calves liver, chicken

Carbon
Fresh fruits

Phosphorus
Chicken, beef, liver, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, legumes, grain

Sulfur
Cranberries, horseradish, cruciferous vegetables, kale, cabbage

Tryptophan
Cheese, liver, lamb, raisins, sweet potato, spinach

Bread, toast
Nitrogen
High protein foods: fish, meat, nuts, beans

Oily snacks, fatty foods
Calcium
Mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, cheese, sesame

Coffee or tea
Phosphorous
Chicken, beef, liver, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, legumes

Sulfur
Egg yolks, red peppers, muscle protein, garlic, onion, cruciferous vegetables

NaCl (salt)
Sea salt, apple cider vinegar (on salad)

Iron
Meat, fish and poultry, seaweed, greens, black cherries

Alcohol,
recreational
drugs
Protein
Meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, nuts

Avenin
Granola, oatmeal

Calcium
Mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, cheese, sesame

Glutamine
Supplement glutamine powder for withdrawal, raw cabbage juice

Potassium
Sun-dried black olives, potato peel broth, seaweed, bitter greens

Chewing ice
Iron
Meat, fish, poultry, seaweed, greens, black cherries

Burned food
Carbon
Fresh fruits

Soda and other carbonated
drinks
Calcium
Mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, cheese, sesame

Salty foods
Chloride
Raw goat milk, fish, unrefined sea salt

Acid foods
Magnesium
Raw nuts and seeds, legumes, fruits

Preference for
liquids rather
than solids
Water
Flavor water with lemon or lime.
You need 8 to 10 glasses per day.

Preference for
solids rather
than liquids
Water
You have been so dehydrated for so long that you have lost your thirst. Flavor water with lemon or lime.
You need 8 to 10 glasses per day.

Cool drinks
Manganese
Walnuts, almonds, pecans, pineapple, blueberries

Pre-menstrual
cravings
Zinc
Red meats (especially organ meats), seafood, leafy vegetables, root vegetables

General
overeating
Silicon
Nuts, seeds; avoid refined starches

Tryptophan
Cheese, liver, lamb, raisins, sweat potato, spinach

Tyrosine
Vitamin C supplements or orange, green, red fruits and vegetables

Lack of appetite
Vitamin B1
Nuts, seeds, beans, liver and other organ meats

Vitamin B3
Tuna, halibut, beef, chicken, turkey, pork, seeds and legumes

Manganese
Walnuts, almonds, pecans, pineapple, blueberries

Chloride
Raw goat milk, unrefined sea salt

Tobacco
Silicon
Nuts, seeds; avoid refined starches

Tyrosine
Vitamin C supplements or orange, green and red fruits and vegetables

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have craved burnt food. I love burnt popcorn and rice. Good to know I'm not crazy. I also, almost every day, crave peanut butter.........Kitty

Christmas card exchange

{ Posted by Page }
{ 04:06, Friday, November 7, 2008 } { Posted in Carnivals, Special Events etc } { 4 comments } { Link }

Just a thought, what do you think about doing a Christmas card exchange on Homestead Blogger. We could send cards to each other and if you are in favour of this idea then I could get a list together for those of us who would like to do this.

What do you think?

Odds and ends

{ Posted by Kitty }
{ 2:43 PM, Thursday, November 6, 2008 } { Posted in Just chit chat } { 2 comments } { Link }

My day started at 5:45 am this morning with the phone ringing. I don't know about you'll, but when that phone rings in the middle of night, my heart leaps out of my chest. When you have two older children that are no longer living at home, and your 24 year old son who has been in 6 wrecks is one of them, your heart leaps. Well it was him calling me this morning, but only for the key to his house. He had locked himself out AGAIN, lol while leaving for work. Thank goodness he only lives a mile from me. And thank goodness that the good Lord sewed that head to that neck cuz the head would be forgotten on the pillow in the morning. That boy. Love him to death, lol.

So once I got back into my nice warm kitchen and had my first cup of coffee, I prepared for my day. First things first, clean out the pantry. I had made a trip to Sam's recently and had stuff piled up every where. I don't like that, I like having every thing in it's place. I'm not one for clutter or things just laying around. So that took about an hour or so. By then my hubby was crawling out of bed wanting eggs and toast for breakfast. He usually goes to work at 2 pm, well they uped (is that a word?) his hours to 10 am, then they "uped" them again and today he had to go in at 8 am. He works untill 10 pm no matter which time he goes into work. The money is good, but he's tired these days.

So off he went to work early this morning and back to work I went. A neighbor recently gave me a really nice computer desk that I am turning into a new sewing table for myself. I hated the fact that every time I wanted to sew I had to move all the school stuff around and was constantly moving stuff here and there off the dinning room table. Now I can set it up in the spare bedroom and leave it set up. I have so many projects that I have to work on. Since losing my 30 lbs all my pants are way too big. I will be taking them up at least once before I have to get rid of them and buy new ones. I get all my clothes from thrift stores and garage sales, so it won't be that bad to start hunting for new ones.

Then a quick trip to the grocery store for fresh friuts and a gallon of milk and I'm good to go for the day. Supper tonight will be grilled pork chops, green beans with little potatoes and corn bread. For me - no cornbread, ugggg diets. Have a great day everyone.

Already there is division on here

{ Posted by Page }
{ 03:33, Wednesday, November 5, 2008 } { Posted in Thoughts & Ramblings } { 6 comments } { Link }

Barack Obama is not even in power yet and look what is happening on here, all of a sudden today HB seems to like a battle zone. This should not be so and we all have different views, but should we be attacking one another like this, no we shouldn't.

Should we be leaving HB because we have different views - no

Please can I ask that we think about what we are doing and what we are saying. This is a blog not a "cattle market" . I am already upset because one friend is leaving and then I read that someone else may be leaving.......

Please can we just get back to how we were. HB was doing so well for a long time and then suddenly Barack Obama has only been elected president today and look what is happening. We need to keep our eyes on the Lord and not on man..................

This is short but after reading some of the blogs on here and the division that seems to be happening, I felt the need to say something.

Do you know what, I think personally we all need a big Homestead Blogger Group hug.............:)

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