Sensibly Healthy: Moderation

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So, if there is one thing I have learned about healthy eating, it is that I will only be successful if I approach it with moderation. I know that I am setting myself up for failure if I determine not to eat ANY sugar, or to ONLY eat a certain type of food, or to NOT eat any carbs. I know lots of people have been successful in doing these things. And I am sure it is possible. But is it possible, for most of us, for a lifetime?

You see, my desire to lose weight goes much further than simply losing a set amount of pounds.  I actually need to find a lifestyle that will be conducive to keeping it off for the rest of my life. 

How will I do this? By using moderation. By finding a way of eating that is glorifying to my heavenly father.

Sugar isn't evil. Carbohydrates are not evil. Fruits and vegetables aren't especially blessed by God.

Now, as I say this, I do want to express here that I do believe that foods that are highly processed or use unnatural, chemically based products are harmful to our bodies. I am working to rid my diet of as much of these as possible.

But any food in its natural state is not a bad food. It is simply about moderation.

Now...if I can only be sure to live this and not only write about it! ;)

--Leslie

Tasty Tuesday: Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Icing

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A friend gave me this recipe for Chocolate Cake. Another friend gave me the recipe for the Peanut Butter Frosting.  Together they are wonderful!  This is an easy, no-fail dessert that always gets rave reviews :)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. And then mix together:

2 cups sugar
3/4 c. cocoa
1/2 c. vegetable or canola oil
2 eggs
1 c. milk

And then add:

2 c. flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 c. hot, black coffee

Mix well and then put in a 9x13 pan or 2 round pans.  Bake for 30 minutes.

After cake is cooled, mix up this yummy Peanut Butter Frosting:

1/2 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter
4 cups confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup half & half or milk

Frost cake (we always add a few chocolate sprinkles) and then enjoy this yummy dessert!

Just 15 Minutes

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It's Monday morning and my messy house greets me.  I can't believe the disarray that can be the result of one weekend.  Why didn't I teach my kids--and my husband ;) --to put things away? As I talk to myself, I am thankful for one lesson I have learned:

I have a much better day if I just take a few minutes and clean up.

Depending on how bad it is and how much time I have, I will simply move the stuff from our kitchen/family room area to the dining room, where I can't see it and it can rest there for the kids to put away later.  And then, other times, I will take the time to put it away myself.


I don't know about you, but I feel so unsettled and unhappy in my spirit if my house is too messy and unorganized and I have found that just giving 15 minutes is well worth the peace of mind it brings. Of course, sometimes it turns into an hour, but when kids are in school, you can afford that hour.  If you homeschool, you really can't (at least in my experience).  But it is quite amazing what even a few minutes cleaning up the sink or the family room can do to set the tone for the day.

Hope you can get your 15 minutes of tidying in today!

--Leslie

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Sensibly Healthy: On Blowing It

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So, I never wrote last Wednesday's Sensibly Healthy post. I was in the middle of a crazy week, but managed to hang on to my healthy eating and exercise routine.  Well, that is, until I went to the beach.  Each year in September we head to the beach with both sets of grandparents.  We all camp together there and it is one of our favorite family traditions.  But along with that tradition comes ice cream and chips and candy.

This year I was determined for it to be different! And it was. While I didn't boycott ice cream, I did make every effort to think about what I was eating, whereas most years, I just ate what I wanted, without concern for the consequences.

The other thing I did was to take walks, even when I didn't feel like it. I got in two good walks when normally I would sit by the fire and read. So, I felt pretty good about the weekend.

But when I came back and got on the scales, I had gained the two pounds I had lost the week before! I was devastated. I felt myself sinking into the "why bother?!" mode again.

Even now, a day later, I am feeling a little apathetic towards this ongoing battle that just doesn't go away. And yet, when I look at the pictures of myself taken at the beach, I know I don't want to look like this for the rest of my life.  And, so the battle rages on.

And I realize that I can't let one weekend derail the new lifestyle of eating and exercising that I am trying to attain. And so, I am going to dust myself off and keep on keeping on. After all, it is a beautiful day to go for a walk!

Are you going to exercise today?

--Leslie

A Solution for Storing Food Containers

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Storing food containers has always been one of those annoying things about life. If you have been keeping house for longer than a couple of years, your containers and lids consist of all different shapes and sizes. I had pretty much resigned myself to the impossibility of an organized food container cabinet. I mean, really - who has time to tidy a cabinet every day?!?

And, thus, I was living in "food storage container disorder" for over twenty years. Until one day, I read about this idea on Pinterest for storing my plastic containers. I can't find the pin, or I would give credit where credit is due. This is NOT my idea. However, I wanted to pass it along to my readers, because it works! I still can't quite believe it!  I have been using this idea for several months now and, while my cabinet isn't picture perfect at all times, it is very much improved!  And it is so easy-

I bought a small dish drying rack and tucked all of my lids into it. And that's it. It is so surprising how simply keeping the lids in a rack helps to keep the cabinet organized.

Hope this idea is helpful. Have a great day!

--Leslie

Who's the Boss?

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I have been wanting to write a book with this title for years now.  And someday I may. But I thought it is definitely worth a blog post.

You see, I see so many families revolving their entire lives around their children.  It starts when the children are just small babies and toddlers. The children determine the entire families' schedule and mood. If Johnny doesn't want to do so and so, well, then, the entire family just won't do it.  If Susie wants to do so and so, well, then the entire family will make sure that it happens.

I have seen 2 year olds scream "No!" in the most defiant voice to a parent and receive no punishment or consequences for it. I have seen them lay down on the floor kicking and screaming while a parent hovers over them trying to bribe them with candy.

Having had four toddlers myself, I know how tempting this can be.  Life is not fun with an unhappy toddler.  However, it is so incredibly important that we teach our children that, while they are an integral part of our family, they are not the center of it.

The sooner they learn that life does not revolve around them, the sooner they will become a valuable part of our society. How many people do you know in your place of employment or on the sports field who believe that the entire world should bow to their wants and wishes?

As Christian parents, we need to teach our children that God and others are more important than ourselves. We teach this not only by our examples, but also by not tolerating tantrums and disrespectful language directed at adults.

We have a great responsibility before the Lord to raise kids that not only love Him, but others, as well. What I see in our culture is a great many children being raised to love only themselves.  And the sad thing is many parents are promoting this self-love by, unwittingly, revolving their entire lives around the children.

Let's be so very careful to remember that God designed the parents to be the head of the family. The parents are to make the decisions and the plans for the family. And, while we love and cherish our children, let's be careful not to ultimately hurt them by giving in to their every whim and wish.

Sensibly Healthy: Small Choices

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As I battle of self-control regarding food rages within me, I have realized something.  The small choices we make each and every day matter!

--It matters if I have a snack before bed, even if I am not hungry.
--It matters if I eat dessert after every meal.
--It matters if I eat fries with my meal.
--It matters if I choose the large size instead of the small size.
--It matters if I choose to have a doughnut or a smoothie for breakfast.

Do you know why?  Because all of our little choices add up to VERY BIG consequences!  This hit me as I contemplated how I had ended up with an overweight, unhealthy body. I realized it isn't because I eat whole boxes of cookies, half gallons of ice cream, or bags of chips.  I have never done that.  No, I am 30 pounds overweight because of little, seemingly unimportant, choices I make each day.

This hit home last night as I sat on my sofa watching TV.  I wanted something to eat.  Just a little something.  I had to ask myself WHY?  Was I hungry?  No.  Was I going to be starve if I didn't eat something? No.  Was it a habit to eat while watching TV at night? Yes.

Last night I had the wisdom and self-control to not have a snack. But the key is stringing these evenings out into forever.

The knowledge that our destinies our made up of small choices makes the battle seem less daunting and fierce. But it also makes it seem more drawn out. The small choices that have become habits for me over many years are also going to take awhile to reverse.

But if we don't start today, when exactly will we get around to it??

Wishing you a blessed day!

--Leslie

Five Great Reasons to Make Your Own Salsa

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One summer, a long time ago, I made my own salsa.  It was delicious and I always vowed I would do it again someday.  Last Friday, "someday" finally arrived!  As I was making it I was filled with self-doubt. I hadn't canned anything but jam for a very long time. Would the jars seal? Would it taste any good?

After I had it all boiling on the stove, I re-read the directions. Oh, no! I was supposed to drain the salted  vegetables before adding the tomato puree.  I spent a moment panicking that I had just wasted a few hours and some really good veggies.  I got a spoon and hesitantly dipped it in the pot for a taste. Would it be too salty? I thought it tasted pretty good, so I decided to continue the process.

After it was all said and done, the salsa tastes delicious! And, ironically, when I served it at a party last night someone told me they liked it because it wasn't too salty! I thought that was kind of funny.

So why should we go to the work of making our own salsa?  Here are five reasons why, for me, making salsa is definitely worth my time:

1.   When I make it, I know just how much sodium and sugar are in it and I also know that I didn't add a bit of added preservatives or chemicals.

2.  I can use the freshest produce available from my local farmer's market. Choosing from the wide variety of hot peppers available, I can make it as hot or mild as I want.  With this batch I used the Anaheim chili peppers that produced in abundance in my garden this summer.

3.  I can control the texture. My family is not big on chunks in their sauces.  And so when I made my own salsa I put it by batches in my Ninja to make it much smoother than anything I can find at the store.

4.  There is a great sense of accomplishment that follows doing your own canning.  It is some extra work, but there is nothing like the feeling of preparing a healthy snack for your family to enjoy for months to come.

5.  It tastes SO much better. It is really not even a comparison. There are some store-bought salsas I love, but they still do not have that fresh taste that homemade salsa has.

So, if you have been thinking about trying to make your own salsa, why don't you give it a try?

--Leslie

p.s. This blog post is part of Frugally Sustainable's Blog Hop. Hop on over there and check it out for lots of great ideas!