healthy – Page 2 – Oh Lord Help Us

I Got Screwed: Changing Our Perspective When Life Isn’t Fair

Love, Parent, Stay SaneOctober 4, 2014February 8, 2018

I got screwed. We all know what it feels like to have something unfair happen to us. We may need to change our perspective.

Here’s What Happened…

I’ve been running in this trail race series all year. It’s 6 races and you get points for whatever place you come in. Then at the end of the year they name an overall winner. Today was the fifth race and it was a 10K. So far I have come in 2nd place overall female 3 times, and 3rd place once. I felt like I would never get to come in first. Until today! I felt so good. Perfect weather, hubby running with me, and feeling good at a solid 7:30-7:45/mile pace. I was in first, with a solid lead. I was telling myself to not get too excited. Stay calm. Stay focused. And then it all slipped away.

We were suppose to be following yellow course signs. No problem. The course would be well marked they said. Well with about 3/4 of a mile left to go, there was a course sign that pointed left. Or so I thought. After realizing that I ran a complete loop, we figured out that the arrow was pointing the wrong way. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!! I was so angry. SO SO SO very angry. I had a good lead, but not that much. The other people apparently knew that the course didn’t go that way (although there were a few others that made the same mistake we did). I don’t know what place I actually ended up coming in at. It was too heart-breaking.

And then…

At the end, we did tell the race director, but all he could say was “sorry”. I then proceeded to vent to my sweet friend that was there as a volunteer because she hurt her Achilles. She understood, and shared my frustration with me, but I gotta say, she is so much nicer than me. She was feeling concern about people getting hurt out there because they wouldn’t be expecting that extra distance. That didn’t even occur to me. So as I was sulking, hubby says “keep it in perspective.” Not exactly what I want to hear. I was in a foul mood.

We leave to go get brunch (because crepes and lattes will improve anyones mood), and I tell him that I didn’t want to hear “keep it in perspective.” He further explained that I was totally right to be frustrated. He was frustrated too. It was really wrong what happened and poor on the race organization to not have it better marked. His point was, “don’t hurt anyone in your frustration.” Wow. What an insightful thought. My words can be really sharp, and that was very kind of him to try to calm me down before I could do damage.

So I’ve been pondering this, and I have some thoughts that I would like to share.

Thoughts…

First, I was happy that my kids weren’t there to see how I was acting. I definitely was not setting a good example. There have been many times that my older son has gotten angry because something wasn’t fair. And I’ve said to him “life is not fair” many times. I thought that I need to remember this feeling of life not being fair so that I can relate. It’s okay to feel frustration and disappointment, but are we going to hurt ourselves or others while we are pouting and throwing a tantrum?

Secondly, I began to realize that I was not mad I had to run further; I was mad that I didn’t come in first. What I wanted was recognition; A pat on the back. An “atta boy” as my father-in-law says. Wow, that’s petty. It’s not like there was a cash prize, or even a medal for that matter. Maybe I’ll have a piece of humble pie to go with my latte.

Finally, I did start to put it in perspective. I started to think of the things in life that truly aren’t fair. Yesterday a friend found out her mom has breast cancer. Screwed. Today a family member is going to spend time with a dear friend who has a rare type of cancer and can no longer take care of herself. Screwed. After the race my sweet friend told me of a guy that had a freak mountain bike accident and died. Screwed. On the way home I found out another friends sister is in the ER because a truck ran a red light. Screwed. When we got home our babysitter told us she just learned she can’t have children and has a mass in her brain. Screwed and screwed.

Thankful…

Life really isn’t fair. But we can still be thankful. I’m thankful for my husband that loves me enough to call me out. I am thankful for friends that make me want to be a better person. I’m thankful for where I live. And my health. And the ability to run.

I’m happy with my race today. I figure I just came in first in my 11K.

xoxo

Mayo Just Ain’t Sexy

Be Healthy, Eat, Save, Stay SaneSeptember 26, 2014

I don’t know how to make this post exciting. It’s about mayonnaise. Some people love it, some people hate it, some people prefer Miracle Whip. I personally prefer mayo, but I’ve been a little disturbed lately about how much soy we consume in our diet. It’s everywhere. And especially in mayo, because it’s made with vegetable oil, also known as soybean oil.

So I thought I would try making my own with olive oil. Ok, people, please listen up and learn from my mistake! DO NOT USE extra virgin olive oil!!! I know it’s better for you, but don’t do it. It’s NASTY!! I had made it before with a different type and it was fine, so I was really confused. After throwing it away, my hubby found an article that explained scientifically why it tasted so bad. I won’t bore you with the science, but pretty much you can’t put extra virgin olive oil in a food processor. So learn from me and don’t waste a cup of olive oil. I use Trader Joes’s olive oil that is part extra virgin, part refined olive oil. Which means it is mostly refined.

Ingredients:

1 cup refined olived oil (not extra virgin)

1 egg yolk

1 Tb white vinegar

1/4 tsp ground mustard

1/4 tsp salt

Step 1:

Combine egg yolk, vinegar, mustard, and salt in food processor and blend.

Step 2:

Gradually add oil. Blend until thick.

The only price breakdown I know on this is for the olive oil. I had the vinegar and mustard and salt, but the cost is miniscule.

Refined Olive Oil: 1.42

Total: approx $1.50 for 8oz of mayo

Italian Chicken and Zucchini

RecipesSeptember 18, 2014March 6, 2016

Ingredients

3 chicken breast
3 zucchini cubed
1 can diced tomatoes
1 onion chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1 Tb Italian seasoning
1 lb pasta of choice
1 cup shredded mozzarella

Directions

Step 1: Place chicken, zucchini, tomatoes, onions, garlic, salt, and Italian seasoning in a crockpot on low for 8-10 hours.

Step 2: Shred chicken.

Step 3: Serve over pasta and sprinkle mozzarella on top.

Price Breakdown

3 chicken breast 8.49
3 zucchini cubed 3.27
1 can diced tomatoes 0.98
1 onion chopped 0.51
1 tsp minced garlic 0.05
1 tsp salt 0.01
1 Tb Italian seasoning 0.05
1 lb pasta of choice 1.38
1 cup shredded mozzarella 1.20

Total: $15.94 for 8 servings

$1.99 per serving!!!

Gluten Free Granola Bars

RecipesAugust 22, 2014September 18, 2014

Dry Ingredients

1 cup unsalted roasted almonds

1/2 cup salted roasted shelled pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup unsalted sunflower seeds

1/4 cup flax seeds

1/8 cup chia seeds

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1 Tb ground cinnamon

Wet Ingredients

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 eggs

2 mashed bananas

2 tsp vanilla extract

Step 1: Grind first five ingredients. I use an old coffee grinder to grind each individually and then dump into a bowl.

Step 2: Add remaining dry ingredients.

Step 3: Mix wet ingredients.

Step 4: Add wet to dry and mix.

Step 5: Spread in a buttered 9 x 13 glass pan. Bake 350 for 25 minutes.

Yummy Yummy Granola Bars (with a gluten free option)

Eat, Stay SaneAugust 16, 2014May 23, 2016

I have tweaked this recipe so many times, and still adjust it on occasion. I’m super proud of it, because it is truly MY recipe that I developed on my own. There are many substititutions that can be made based on you and your family’s needs and likes.

I make a batch and have these for my breakfast pretty much every day. Super convenient and filling and healthy and cheap and yummy.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Dry Ingredients

1 cup unsalted roasted almonds
1/2 cup salted roasted shelled pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
1/4 cup flax seeds
1/8 cup chia seeds
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 Tb ground cinnamon

Wet Ingredients

1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 eggs
2 mashed bananas
2 tsp vanilla extract

Step 1: Grind first five ingredients. I use an old coffee grinder to grind each individually and then dump into a bowl.

Step 2: Add remaining dry ingredients.

Step 3: Mix wet ingredients.

Step 4: Add wet to dry and mix.

Step 5: Spread in a buttered 9 x 13 glass pan. Bake 350 for 25 minutes.

Now let’s talk about the ingredients and do the price breakdown.

The almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and chia seeds are all from Trader Joes. I just can’t seem to find any others that are that good for the price.

The rolled oats are generic old fashioned oats. If you want to make these gluten free, then pick up a bag of gluten free rolled oats while you are at Trader Joes.

The cranberries and cinnamon are generic.

The coconut sugar is from Trader Joes. I use to use brown sugar instead, but wanted to make them healthier. Your kids may like them better if you stick with the brown sugar, but I don’t share mine anyways (just kidding) (no I’m not).

The honey is local.

Applesauce and eggs are generic.

Pick up some bananas too, while you are at Trader Joes.

Price Breakdown

Almonds $1.60
Pumpkin seeds $.93
Sunflower seeds $.28
Flax seeds $.29
Oatmeal $.33
Cranberries $.86
Coconut sugar $.84
Eggs $.27
Honey $1.09
Applesauce $.18
Bananas $.38

Total $7.05 for 12 servings, $.59 a piece!!!!

Honey Wheat Bread

RecipesAugust 8, 2014September 18, 2014

3 cups warm water

4.5 tsp active yeast

1/2 cup honey

5 cups bread flour

3 Tb butter melted

2 Tb salt

3.5-4 cups whole wheat flour

In a large mixing bowl, combine yeast and water, add honey and stir. Add bread flour. Let rise.

Add melted butter and salt.

Add 2 cups of whole wheat flour, then knead in the remaining flour.

Place in buttered bowl, cover with towel and let sit until double. Punch down.

Divide into thirds, place in buttered 9 x 5 loaf pans, cover with towel until double.

Bake 350 for 25 minutes.

Saving a lot of dough. On your dough.

Eat, Save, Stay SaneAugust 8, 2014September 18, 2014

Here it is. Isn’t it beautiful! This is my go to bread recipe and what we use for sandwiches, toast, and when we need something to put honey on.

Ingredients. Six glorious ingredients (not counting the water), that is all. Check your bread package, how many do you see? Can you pronounce all of them?

3 cups warm water

4.5 tsp active yeast

1/2 cup honey

5 cups bread flour

3 Tb butter melted

2 Tb salt

3.5-4 cups whole wheat flour

In a large mixing bowl, combine yeast and water, add honey and stir.

Add bread flour.

Let rise. (I usually wait until it’s at the rim of the bowl)

Add melted butter and salt. (I use a spatula and make a hole to pour the butter, then mix)

Add 2 cups of whole wheat flour.

Knead in the remaining flour. (Here is where I was messing up. Knead it until it forms a ball and is completely mixed-no dry flour to be found)

Place in buttered bowl, cover with towel and let sit until double. Punch down.

Divide into thirds, place in buttered 9 x 5 loaf pans, cover with towel until double.

Bake 350 for 25 minutes.

Now, let’s talk about ingredients and costs.

The yeast is Fleischmann’s in the jar. It’s more economical than the packets.

The honey is local, and is oh so yummy. It’s not much more than what I was paying at the supermarket.

The bread flour is King Arthur. Gold Medal is a bit cheaper. Pillsbury is even cheaper.

The butter is generic. I would love to use local grass fed. Just haven’t gone there yet.

The salt is Morton’s.

The whole wheat flour I ordered off Amazon. A 25lb bag of organic whole wheat bread flour from a company called Great River.

Here’s the cost for this recipe:

Yeast .63

Honey 1.09

Bread flour 1.17

Butter .28

Salt .04

Whole wheat flour 1.30

Total: $4.51 for 3 loaves!!!

That’s $1.50 a loaf people!!! And you could make it even cheaper by using different brands. That’s up to you!