This is probably our busiest time of the year. Unlike many families, we are plugging away at school...we school year-round so that we can take breaks as needed in addition to our planned breaks. But, we are also squeezing in as much "summer vacation" as we can as well. We are big-time campers, and have been taking advantage of my husband's time off as well as the beautiful weather we've been blessed with lately. We just recently got back from a week-long camping trip up north, and had an absolutely wonderful time.
The chaos that ensued when we got home, however, really showed me how NOT consistent I've gotten lately with the boys. Our first full day back when we got home was pretty rough. So, hubby and I did an evaluation and made sure we got our own hearts back in the right place. This is so very important with kids! If you're having problems with obedience or attitudes, the first thing you should ALWAYS look at is yourself. I will admit from first-hand experience, this is an extremely hard thing to do, but it's an important first step (and believe me when I say, this isn't the first time I've had to do this!). If you really want a piece of humble pie, sincerely pray and ask God to show you where you're going wrong. Okay, even if you don't want that piece of pie, if you want to effectively lead your children, you really need to do a self-evaluation and ask God to show you where you need to change. The humble pie is a side-effect, but I think it's an important one, too. Ask God for forgiveness, and ask Him to line your heart up with His will. This alone will work wonders. Today was a wonderful day, and I feel like not only do I have my boys back, but that I have myself back as well. :) Seriously, today was just amazing, and I just need to say thank you to my Father. He is truly amazing and He is GOOD, all the time!
Another thing that I'm excited about is school. Vincent has been showing so much more excitement about learning lately compared to the past, that it's catchy. :) So, I have decided that whatever books I assign him to read, I am going to read, too. Even though I read a LOT when I was younger, I didn't really read a lot of the classics, and I didn't really read any informational books unless I "had" to for school. So, I'm reading the informational books I assign him for the subjects we are studying, and I will even get "adult" books on those subjects if they really interest me. He is also going through a list of age-appropriate classics as part of his free-time reading, and I am joining him in those, as well. So, don't be surprised if you see a lot of kid books in the sidebar. ;) It's never too late to get in some good reading if you missed out when you were younger!
Lisa's Homemaking Corner
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
A few changes
Okay, I'm back in action! It's been awhile since I've posted here because I've been busy starting a new recipe blog for people following the MS Diet. You can check that out here.
I've also been struggling to find a cleaning routine at home, but I think I've found a good one. I just couldn't keep consistent with flylady for some reason, and I was talking to a friend of mine from church, and she recommended this site to me. I figured I'd better try it out for awhile to see how it works, and I gotta tell you, it works awesome for me! I printed out the June calendar and follow all the tasks each day. It's simple enough to not get overwhelming, but gets enough done to be noticeable each day. Plus, I still have time to do school and anything else that needs to be done for the day. I love it! Give it a try and let me know what you think!
I've also been struggling to find a cleaning routine at home, but I think I've found a good one. I just couldn't keep consistent with flylady for some reason, and I was talking to a friend of mine from church, and she recommended this site to me. I figured I'd better try it out for awhile to see how it works, and I gotta tell you, it works awesome for me! I printed out the June calendar and follow all the tasks each day. It's simple enough to not get overwhelming, but gets enough done to be noticeable each day. Plus, I still have time to do school and anything else that needs to be done for the day. I love it! Give it a try and let me know what you think!
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Struggling with balance and finding simplicity
As in my last post, I had made the decision to not obsess about housework so much. In my efforts to do that, I found things seriously out of balance this week as the house is now driving me nuts! I've been thinking and praying about what I should do to find balance in this area, and I have gotten my answer. I am going back to flylady's way of doing things and using her baby steps. :)
This will be a very good lesson for me, as I typically want to jump in to these things full force, and instead, I will be following the beginner's baby steps. In the past, it has driven me crazy doing things so simple, and doing things so S-L-O-W-L-Y, but it is what I need to do.
So, today, I am shining my sink and getting VERY basic, minimal stuff done. Then tomorrow, I will move on to baby step #2, and so on.
I hope to be updating my baby step progress with pictures as I go, so check back again! :)
This will be a very good lesson for me, as I typically want to jump in to these things full force, and instead, I will be following the beginner's baby steps. In the past, it has driven me crazy doing things so simple, and doing things so S-L-O-W-L-Y, but it is what I need to do.
So, today, I am shining my sink and getting VERY basic, minimal stuff done. Then tomorrow, I will move on to baby step #2, and so on.
I hope to be updating my baby step progress with pictures as I go, so check back again! :)
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Kicking out the robber
Yesterday, I finished reading Homeschooling With a Meek and Quiet Spirit, by Teri Maxwell. I thank the Lord for what He showed me while reading that book. Having a meek and quiet spirit is something I have struggled with for awhile now, and I've finally made the connection to a major robber of a meek and quiet spirit, thanks to this book.
My own mom was a stay-at-home mom until I was in high school. Being a stay-at-home-mom myself, I have been holding myself to the same housekeeping standard that she kept. I mean, I'm at home, with no other outside job, so my house should look nice. Right? And everything should be done by dinner time, so that when dishes are done, it's time for myself and the family to relax. Shouldn't it? I can attest to the fact that being at home is MUCH harder than anything I've done for outside work...although I will say, it's definitely not as stressful. The only person's schedule you really have to follow is your husband's (or your own, if your husband is not big on sticking to schedules around the home-front), and he's usually a LOT nicer than a boss. :) Yes, staying at home IS harder, but I knew that and was prepared for that when I signed up for the job. What I wasn't prepared for, however, was the whirlwind and utter exhaustion each day brought by it's end. My husband kept telling me I was doing too much, while not getting the big things done...I'm a very detailed person, so when I take on a project, it can take me forever making sure I have it done just so, much to the detriment of things like meals and school.
Last night's reading brought on a light bulb moment for me. Teri explained in her book that many stay-at-home, homeschooling moms today had stay-at-home-moms themselves. These mothers have set these high standards for the homes that many of us try to hold to ourselves. But here's the kicker: Most of these moms (including my own) SENT THEIR KIDS OFF TO SCHOOL FOR 6-7 HOURS A DAY. Did you get that? I'm not knocking my mom, or any other mom, who sends their kids to school. What I'm saying is, those moms had 6-7 hours each day kid-free! That's when most of them did their housework, virtually free of distraction...kid distraction, anyway. Plus, they didn't have messes being made during that time, and (most of the time) no one was home for lunch, so she just had to worry about herself for that meal.
So, here I am, not only with my kids home all day, but dedicating several hours to homeschooling. On top of that, I've everyone but hubby here for all three meals (plus snacks, don't forget the snacks!), so more time gets spent on that, as well. THEN, I am trying to get the same amount of housework done that my mom did, in the same time frame! As you can guess, many days it hasn't all gotten done, and I drive myself insane with unnecessary pressure, all the while thinking that was just how it was supposed to be. Duh!
After I read that chapter, I just sat staring at the ceiling for a good five minutes, thinking in amazement and asking God why I never made this connection before. Seriously, you know it's really bad when *I* actually admit I was doing too much. But it's true. The most important things, like school and well-planned meals, had been suffering to let little, less important details take the front seat. No more.
My way of thinking has done a complete turn-around. I'm going back to the bare-bones basics around the house and bringing those important things back to where they belong, front and center. I am working on readjusting my priorities as they should be...God, husband, children, everything else if there's time and I feel like it. Do I want a super clean house? Of course, but not more than I want my kids to be well trained and educated, and certainly not more than I want my husband to be happy. I will keep the basics as far as housework goes...meals, laundry, dishes...and if I want to do anything else, I now realize that instead of cutting into the time it takes to make good meals or homeschool, I will have to find time somewhere else, AFTER those things are taken care of. And if those extra things don't get done, I'm not going to kick myself about it. And if I choose to do that work in the evening instead of relaxing, that's my choice, and that's perfectly okay. As a homeschooling mom, my schedule is going to look very different from a non-homeschooling mom's, and, as I now realize, that's okay, too. So if you happen to stop by my house and it's NOT clean (gasp!), just know that I had bigger priorities on my plate that day. :)
My own mom was a stay-at-home mom until I was in high school. Being a stay-at-home-mom myself, I have been holding myself to the same housekeeping standard that she kept. I mean, I'm at home, with no other outside job, so my house should look nice. Right? And everything should be done by dinner time, so that when dishes are done, it's time for myself and the family to relax. Shouldn't it? I can attest to the fact that being at home is MUCH harder than anything I've done for outside work...although I will say, it's definitely not as stressful. The only person's schedule you really have to follow is your husband's (or your own, if your husband is not big on sticking to schedules around the home-front), and he's usually a LOT nicer than a boss. :) Yes, staying at home IS harder, but I knew that and was prepared for that when I signed up for the job. What I wasn't prepared for, however, was the whirlwind and utter exhaustion each day brought by it's end. My husband kept telling me I was doing too much, while not getting the big things done...I'm a very detailed person, so when I take on a project, it can take me forever making sure I have it done just so, much to the detriment of things like meals and school.
Last night's reading brought on a light bulb moment for me. Teri explained in her book that many stay-at-home, homeschooling moms today had stay-at-home-moms themselves. These mothers have set these high standards for the homes that many of us try to hold to ourselves. But here's the kicker: Most of these moms (including my own) SENT THEIR KIDS OFF TO SCHOOL FOR 6-7 HOURS A DAY. Did you get that? I'm not knocking my mom, or any other mom, who sends their kids to school. What I'm saying is, those moms had 6-7 hours each day kid-free! That's when most of them did their housework, virtually free of distraction...kid distraction, anyway. Plus, they didn't have messes being made during that time, and (most of the time) no one was home for lunch, so she just had to worry about herself for that meal.
So, here I am, not only with my kids home all day, but dedicating several hours to homeschooling. On top of that, I've everyone but hubby here for all three meals (plus snacks, don't forget the snacks!), so more time gets spent on that, as well. THEN, I am trying to get the same amount of housework done that my mom did, in the same time frame! As you can guess, many days it hasn't all gotten done, and I drive myself insane with unnecessary pressure, all the while thinking that was just how it was supposed to be. Duh!
After I read that chapter, I just sat staring at the ceiling for a good five minutes, thinking in amazement and asking God why I never made this connection before. Seriously, you know it's really bad when *I* actually admit I was doing too much. But it's true. The most important things, like school and well-planned meals, had been suffering to let little, less important details take the front seat. No more.
My way of thinking has done a complete turn-around. I'm going back to the bare-bones basics around the house and bringing those important things back to where they belong, front and center. I am working on readjusting my priorities as they should be...God, husband, children, everything else if there's time and I feel like it. Do I want a super clean house? Of course, but not more than I want my kids to be well trained and educated, and certainly not more than I want my husband to be happy. I will keep the basics as far as housework goes...meals, laundry, dishes...and if I want to do anything else, I now realize that instead of cutting into the time it takes to make good meals or homeschool, I will have to find time somewhere else, AFTER those things are taken care of. And if those extra things don't get done, I'm not going to kick myself about it. And if I choose to do that work in the evening instead of relaxing, that's my choice, and that's perfectly okay. As a homeschooling mom, my schedule is going to look very different from a non-homeschooling mom's, and, as I now realize, that's okay, too. So if you happen to stop by my house and it's NOT clean (gasp!), just know that I had bigger priorities on my plate that day. :)
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
MS Diet: Watch out for dairy detox!
I managed to go dairy-free for almost a week before Easter. That day I decided to indulge in some foods that had cheese, were probably made with milk, and yes, some Easter candy. Oy, never again.
Up until that point, I had made a pretty gradual cut of dairy, going from cutting out milk, which I didn't drink a whole lot of, to cutting out cheese, which was in/on A LOT of things I ate. Well, on Sunday, I ate dairy, and Monday I didn't eat any. I woke up Tuesday morning with what felt like some morning allergies. Except, they didn't go away. In fact, they got worse as the day progressed (still eating no dairy), to where I had the chills by Tuesday night...no fever though! I had a feeling, and did some research...sure enough, I was going through dairy detox. Here's an interesting article.
The fact that I did my first major strength training session yesterday (before I felt too bad) didn't help either. With the achy muscles, it felt like I was in the middle of a bad cold. I definitely feel better today, although I'm still achy from the exercise yesterday, and I'm still stuffed up...it's very obvious my body is trying to get rid of all the extra mucous brought on by my completely unnecessary indulgence on Sunday.
So, lesson learned! No more dairy indulgences for me...it's just not worth it!
Up until that point, I had made a pretty gradual cut of dairy, going from cutting out milk, which I didn't drink a whole lot of, to cutting out cheese, which was in/on A LOT of things I ate. Well, on Sunday, I ate dairy, and Monday I didn't eat any. I woke up Tuesday morning with what felt like some morning allergies. Except, they didn't go away. In fact, they got worse as the day progressed (still eating no dairy), to where I had the chills by Tuesday night...no fever though! I had a feeling, and did some research...sure enough, I was going through dairy detox. Here's an interesting article.
The fact that I did my first major strength training session yesterday (before I felt too bad) didn't help either. With the achy muscles, it felt like I was in the middle of a bad cold. I definitely feel better today, although I'm still achy from the exercise yesterday, and I'm still stuffed up...it's very obvious my body is trying to get rid of all the extra mucous brought on by my completely unnecessary indulgence on Sunday.
So, lesson learned! No more dairy indulgences for me...it's just not worth it!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Frugal Friday: Books
I know, I know, I'm a day late. LOL! Better late than never, especially if you love books and are looking for ways to indulge your passion and keep the pocketbook under control!
Do you love to read? Can't get enough books? I love to read, and use the library often, but I often find books that I want in my personal collection at home. If you have books lying around that you just don't want to read for one reason or another, I recommend joining paperbackswap. When you first join, see if you can find ten books around your house that you are willing to part with, and are in fairly good condition, and list them on paperbackswap. You will then get two credits toward books. Books are generally one credit each, two credits for audio books. Here's how it works: When people "order" the books you put up, you pay postage to send them out. As each book is received by the person who requested it, you get another credit! With your credits, you can order books, and the person sending the book to you covers the postage costs, just as you cover those costs sending out books. You can use the two credits you get for listing your first ten books, right away.
I listed eleven books last week and already got my two books yesterday from that. I also sent out three books, so should be getting three more credits any day. My wish list is pretty long. ;)
Another resource I found and love, is for those of you who own a ton of books and are trying to find a way to keep track of them. Librarything is for you. This is a free site to catalog your home library. Enter in every book you own, and it will generate recommendations for other books you might enjoy. You can also become friends with others on the site, and it will tell you which people have libraries similar to yours. There's many other features, and the best part is, it's free!
Do you love to read? Can't get enough books? I love to read, and use the library often, but I often find books that I want in my personal collection at home. If you have books lying around that you just don't want to read for one reason or another, I recommend joining paperbackswap. When you first join, see if you can find ten books around your house that you are willing to part with, and are in fairly good condition, and list them on paperbackswap. You will then get two credits toward books. Books are generally one credit each, two credits for audio books. Here's how it works: When people "order" the books you put up, you pay postage to send them out. As each book is received by the person who requested it, you get another credit! With your credits, you can order books, and the person sending the book to you covers the postage costs, just as you cover those costs sending out books. You can use the two credits you get for listing your first ten books, right away.
I listed eleven books last week and already got my two books yesterday from that. I also sent out three books, so should be getting three more credits any day. My wish list is pretty long. ;)
Another resource I found and love, is for those of you who own a ton of books and are trying to find a way to keep track of them. Librarything is for you. This is a free site to catalog your home library. Enter in every book you own, and it will generate recommendations for other books you might enjoy. You can also become friends with others on the site, and it will tell you which people have libraries similar to yours. There's many other features, and the best part is, it's free!
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Basic Pancakes: Dairy and Sugar Free
I wanted pancakes this morning and almost made the mistake of using a mix, with the intentions of just replacing the milk with coconut milk beverage. Then I smacked my forehead as I looked at the ingredient list...Duh! It was a BUTTERMILK pancake mix. That was not going to work, so I got out my cookbook and looked up a pancake recipe. I adapted it to make it dairy and sugar free. Granted, it's not gluten free, but that can easily be fixed by replacing the flour with a gluten-free flour, such as white rice flour or almond flour.
Here's my version. They turned out great!
1 cup all -purpose flour
1 tablespoon agave nectar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 beaten egg
1 cup coconut milk beverage (NOT canned coconut milk, but such as is found here)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of dry mixture and set aside.
2. In another medium mixing bowl combine the egg, coconut milk, agave nectar, and olive oil. Add mixture all at once to the dry mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter will be lumpy).
3. For standard-size pancakes, pour about 1/4 cup batter onto a hot, lightly greased griddle or heavy skillet. Cook over medium heat about 2 minutes on each side or until pancakes are golden brown, turning to second sides when pancakes have bubbly surfaces and edges are slightly dry. Serve warm
Now, instead of butter, I spread a little coconut oil on mine. Also, make sure you watch any other toppings you want to use, to make sure they are dairy-free.
Enjoy!
Here's my version. They turned out great!
1 cup all -purpose flour
1 tablespoon agave nectar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 beaten egg
1 cup coconut milk beverage (NOT canned coconut milk, but such as is found here)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of dry mixture and set aside.
2. In another medium mixing bowl combine the egg, coconut milk, agave nectar, and olive oil. Add mixture all at once to the dry mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter will be lumpy).
3. For standard-size pancakes, pour about 1/4 cup batter onto a hot, lightly greased griddle or heavy skillet. Cook over medium heat about 2 minutes on each side or until pancakes are golden brown, turning to second sides when pancakes have bubbly surfaces and edges are slightly dry. Serve warm
Now, instead of butter, I spread a little coconut oil on mine. Also, make sure you watch any other toppings you want to use, to make sure they are dairy-free.
Enjoy!
MS Diet: Hidden dairy ingredients
I'm happy to say that yesterday, I went completely dairy-free! I feel great about the changes I'm making for my health. It's important that if you're going this route, make sure and add things like more fruits and veggies, and supplements that will replace what you're missing in dairy, such as calcium and vitamin D. I have also found that magnesium really helps with feelings of irritability and stress.
Today, I will get the rest of the ingredients I need to make dairy-, soy-, and gluten-free cheese. I will post that after I make it and try it. ;) I have also replaced any butter I use with either coconut oil or olive oil, whichever is more appropriate to the situation. I am still looking for something to replace cream cheese, so if anyone knows any good resources for that, let me know!
For now, I have found a very thorough list of hidden dairy in ingredient lists. This list also includes ingredients that may contain some proponent of dairy, but is not usually a concern for those with a dairy sensitivity or allergy. It also includes ingredients that may *look* like they contain dairy, but really do not. Click here for the link.
Today, I will get the rest of the ingredients I need to make dairy-, soy-, and gluten-free cheese. I will post that after I make it and try it. ;) I have also replaced any butter I use with either coconut oil or olive oil, whichever is more appropriate to the situation. I am still looking for something to replace cream cheese, so if anyone knows any good resources for that, let me know!
For now, I have found a very thorough list of hidden dairy in ingredient lists. This list also includes ingredients that may contain some proponent of dairy, but is not usually a concern for those with a dairy sensitivity or allergy. It also includes ingredients that may *look* like they contain dairy, but really do not. Click here for the link.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Frugal Friday: Homemade Laundry Soap
Today I am sharing a recipe that, yes, I have tried, for powdered laundry soap. I have tried the homemade liquid soaps before and neither myself nor my husband has liked them. Someone shared this a long time ago on a yahoo group that I'm a part of, and I've been wanting to try it since. I've been using it this week, and didn't say anything to my hubby to see if he'd notice...he didn't and that's a good thing! LOL!
1 cup grated Fels Naptha soap (this is a bar you can find in the laundry soap aisle for just a little over a dollar...I used about 3/4 of it for 1 cup, so that's roughly $0.77.)
1/2 cup borax (I got a 4 lb. 12 oz. box for $4.26...I'm guessing there's about 8 cups in there so for this recipe, you're spending about $0.27.)
1/2 cup washing soda, NOT baking soda...I got Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (bought a 3.5 lb. box for $2.57, so guesstimating for this recipe, about $0.23)
This is enough for 16 loads at $1.27. Not a bad deal!
Now, if you have a grater you can use for the soap that grates it into a nice powder, you can just mix all the ingredients together and use 2 tablespoons per load...Run the water, add a couple of drops of essential oil if you have it (I use tea tree oil), and add the 2 tablespoons of powder. Give it a little stir before you add your clothes. Be aware that you may not see suds as you do with store-bought soap (especially if you have hard water). This is okay! The ingredients will do their work.
If you only have something that will *shred* the soap, instead of grating it, here's what I like to do: I first use my fingers after I shredded the soap to break it down a little more, then I store it in its own container. I mix the borax and washing soda together in a different container (otherwise you won't have a very even mix because the powders will keep sinking to the bottom, with the soap shreds on top). I start the water in the washer and add a few drops of tea tree oil. Then I add 1 tablespoon of soap shreds and then 1 tablespoon of the powder mixture (after giving it a little shake). I give the water in the machine a little stir as it's running, and then add the clothes. That's it!
Another thing to be aware of, if you're used to using store-bought laundry soap...there is A LOT of scent in those soaps. So when you use the homemade soap, you won't really have any scent when you pull them out of the dryer (unless you hang your clothes out to dry, then they will smell wonderful!). But, you will notice they DO smell clean. That kind of spooked me the first time I used this...I thought they weren't getting clean because of the lack of smell, but that's exactly how they're *supposed* to smell (NO smell)! I was just too used to the heavy-scented store bought soap and figured that's how clean clothes were supposed to smell. Go figure!
So, as I said earlier, I've been using this for most of the week and haven't said anything to Nick yet. I'm really surprised he hasn't asked me if I'm doing anything different with the laundry lately, but, as I said earlier, this is a good sign! :) Wait until he finds out that I've been making our soap for less than half the cost of even the super good deals I've been getting combining sales and coupons! ;)
I DO have a couple of bottles of Tide with Downy in my laundry room that I got a really good deal on awhile back. I will save those for washing the bedding, as hubby really likes it when the sheets have that Downy smell (okay, so do I!). :)
1 cup grated Fels Naptha soap (this is a bar you can find in the laundry soap aisle for just a little over a dollar...I used about 3/4 of it for 1 cup, so that's roughly $0.77.)
1/2 cup borax (I got a 4 lb. 12 oz. box for $4.26...I'm guessing there's about 8 cups in there so for this recipe, you're spending about $0.27.)
1/2 cup washing soda, NOT baking soda...I got Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (bought a 3.5 lb. box for $2.57, so guesstimating for this recipe, about $0.23)
This is enough for 16 loads at $1.27. Not a bad deal!
Now, if you have a grater you can use for the soap that grates it into a nice powder, you can just mix all the ingredients together and use 2 tablespoons per load...Run the water, add a couple of drops of essential oil if you have it (I use tea tree oil), and add the 2 tablespoons of powder. Give it a little stir before you add your clothes. Be aware that you may not see suds as you do with store-bought soap (especially if you have hard water). This is okay! The ingredients will do their work.
If you only have something that will *shred* the soap, instead of grating it, here's what I like to do: I first use my fingers after I shredded the soap to break it down a little more, then I store it in its own container. I mix the borax and washing soda together in a different container (otherwise you won't have a very even mix because the powders will keep sinking to the bottom, with the soap shreds on top). I start the water in the washer and add a few drops of tea tree oil. Then I add 1 tablespoon of soap shreds and then 1 tablespoon of the powder mixture (after giving it a little shake). I give the water in the machine a little stir as it's running, and then add the clothes. That's it!
Another thing to be aware of, if you're used to using store-bought laundry soap...there is A LOT of scent in those soaps. So when you use the homemade soap, you won't really have any scent when you pull them out of the dryer (unless you hang your clothes out to dry, then they will smell wonderful!). But, you will notice they DO smell clean. That kind of spooked me the first time I used this...I thought they weren't getting clean because of the lack of smell, but that's exactly how they're *supposed* to smell (NO smell)! I was just too used to the heavy-scented store bought soap and figured that's how clean clothes were supposed to smell. Go figure!
So, as I said earlier, I've been using this for most of the week and haven't said anything to Nick yet. I'm really surprised he hasn't asked me if I'm doing anything different with the laundry lately, but, as I said earlier, this is a good sign! :) Wait until he finds out that I've been making our soap for less than half the cost of even the super good deals I've been getting combining sales and coupons! ;)
I DO have a couple of bottles of Tide with Downy in my laundry room that I got a really good deal on awhile back. I will save those for washing the bedding, as hubby really likes it when the sheets have that Downy smell (okay, so do I!). :)
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
MS Diet: Yogurt
Since rice milk was a pretty easy transition, I've decided to move onto yogurt. This one was bit more tough, since I LOVE yogurt (don't want to give it up completely!), and I needed to find something with neither dairy NOR soy. Yikes.
After searching (LOTS of searching), I finally landed at a local co-op, where they have...get this...coconut milk yogurt! Well, that certainly sounded good. So, of course, you know I had to go right down and buy some. ;) Wow, it's definitely more expensive than regular yogurt, at $2.45 per 6-ounce container. But, I did have a $1.00 off coupon, and I figured if I kept it down to a few a week, that would fend off my yogurt cravings. Here's the yogurt I bought: So Delicious
The texture was a little different than dairy yogurt...more like the full fat version with a VERY slightly grainy texture. The taste was just awesome! So far, I've tried vanilla, in which you can definitely taste the yummy coconutiness (is that a word? I love making up words!) of it all. The only other flavors this store has is mango (which I also bought) and plain. Perhaps later on, I'll try and get them to stock a few more flavors. ;)
So, there's two of my major dairy items replaced. :) Next I'll be on a cheese quest, which, besides ice cream, will complete the most obvious forms of dairy. After that, I'm going to have to dig a little deeper and start learning what mystery words mean on food lablels. Fun stuff to look forward to!
After searching (LOTS of searching), I finally landed at a local co-op, where they have...get this...coconut milk yogurt! Well, that certainly sounded good. So, of course, you know I had to go right down and buy some. ;) Wow, it's definitely more expensive than regular yogurt, at $2.45 per 6-ounce container. But, I did have a $1.00 off coupon, and I figured if I kept it down to a few a week, that would fend off my yogurt cravings. Here's the yogurt I bought: So Delicious
The texture was a little different than dairy yogurt...more like the full fat version with a VERY slightly grainy texture. The taste was just awesome! So far, I've tried vanilla, in which you can definitely taste the yummy coconutiness (is that a word? I love making up words!) of it all. The only other flavors this store has is mango (which I also bought) and plain. Perhaps later on, I'll try and get them to stock a few more flavors. ;)
So, there's two of my major dairy items replaced. :) Next I'll be on a cheese quest, which, besides ice cream, will complete the most obvious forms of dairy. After that, I'm going to have to dig a little deeper and start learning what mystery words mean on food lablels. Fun stuff to look forward to!
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