The ABC juice

If I were to eat this, it would take all day!  And if I were to eat this all raw...  it may take me longer than that...  so, I juiced it (inspired by John Cross's Documentary)!

Ingredients:

3 Apples

2 Beets (Greens and all!)

3 Carrots

7 Chard Leaves

1 Ginger (thumb size)

Results:  I got four cups of juice, which makes a great snack in between meals (or a meal itself).  I must admit, I am not a raw beet person, so I do not think I will put it in again.  I will substitute with cucumbers and celery!

Also, it's important to note to put the chard in first.  This way, the other food will make sure the chard gets pushed through the juicer! Have Fun!

Getting Back on Track!

It's time to publicize and become accountable for getting back on track with my health!  I'm vowing to get healthier... I'm getting this pregnancy weight off, I'm going to model the benefits of regular exercise and  healthy eating habits for my kids, I'm going to feel good, and have fun while doing it!!!!!  Why do I need to announce this to the world?  Because I need the support of others to say... "Yes you can!  And I will help!"  Two role models have led me on this path... my Dad and Joe Cross's documentary, "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead!"

My dad has definitely been an inspiration.  A couple months back he had a heart to heart talk with his doctor who informed him, that by changing his eating habits many of his aliments that he has been suffering from for years... (over weight, skin inflammation, aches and pains, migraines), would go away.  Since then, he has eliminated  sugar, wheat, and starch out of his life and has incorporated more vegetables, nuts, fruit, and meat. His ailments have virtually disappeared.  He's lost 40 pounds and is feeling great.

Joe Cross had similar problems that my dad did.  However, he took his eating to an extreme.  He basically "rebooted" his body for 30 days by drinking only homemade veggie juices and slowly incorporated whole food in moderation after that time.  He too, lost weight and the illnesses he was struggling with basically disappeared.

I've been saying for years that I know, "You are what you eat!" But, I never really got it. No, to watch people actually transform... I finally get it!

So, I'm taking elements of what these two people have learned and making it work for me.  I have begun to eat more veggies, and less sugar/wheat. I  have rid my kitchen of processed foods and replace them with fruits, veggies, and meats that I can get locally or grow/raise myself.   I have started to  juice...  (otherwise, I will be eating veggies none stop... all day) once or twice a day.  I run twice a week for 30 minute (I hope to increase this in the future.)  And now....  I am going to post my recipes so that I have a place to not only log my craft and gardening projects, but to log a healthy lifestyle as well!

For me, this is not about weigh lose, but about being healthy...  making my body  run as efficiently as possible so that I can watch my children's children grow up, have a lifetime of memories with the people I love, and maybe even inspire others, as I have been inspired by these two gentleman!

Free Family Fun - Iron Horse Trail, Walnut Creek

We discovered the Iron Horse Trail last weekend, and we will definitely be going back!   Formally the Southern Pacific Railroad, this now paved trail begins or ends (depending on how you look at it) in Concord. It travels 18 miles through Walnut Creek and ends in Dublin.  It's perfect for biking, walking, or jogging.  It has little parks along the way to stop and eat lunch.  With a four year old and an 8 month old, we probably only did 12 miles round trip on bike, but we will come back to bike another section of the trail soon!

Knifty Knitter Fingerless gloves for kids!

My daughter has been bugging me the past few months about making her some fingerless gloves.  Unfortunately, making the gloves on the blue Knifty Knitter loom makes the gloves go up to her shoulder... Stylish, but not what I'm going for!  So, I thought, we not use the Knifty Knitter flower loom.  They came out really cute! Hope you find this useful:


Materials:  Flower Loom (I hot glued my pegs in place!), yarn (I used 2 stands throughout to make them thick!)

• Cast on (you will be making a flat panel using all the pegs on the loom)
• Knit until the piece is long enough to go around your little ones wrist (I knitted 20 rows)
• When you have knitted the amount you need, reach into the loom and bring up the cast on row
• Just as you would for making a turned brim, put the bars from the cast on row back on the pegs SKIPPING PEG 5!
• Knit the pegs that have two loops on them
• Starting from the last peg, remove the whole piece using the crochet method

Liquid Laundry Soap

My review for the powdered laundry soap is in...  it gets clothes clean, but I feel like I always need to add more than 2 tablespoons.  This is purely a "me" thing... because the clothes are clean!  I think it's because after using name brand laundry detergent over my lifetime, I must be brainwashed that I have to use more (like a 1/4 cup or something).  More is better right?  So, I found myself doing laundry sprinkling in a little more washing soda or borax.  I was also at times putting 3 tablespoons of the laundry soap in.  So, I'm moving on to liquid laundry soap. This recipe definitely is MORE!  It makes 10 gallons!  I'll be having laundry detergent for years!

This soap is apparently the Duggar family recipe.  We don't have a TV, so I don't know much about them except what I see on the internet.  Apparently, they have a really big family (19 kids), and laundry is a full time job in that house.  Therefore, they should know what works.  So their recipe is:

1 grated bar of soap ( I'm going to use my homemade soap!)
1 cup of washing soda (see recipe, if you can't find it in the stores)
1/2 cup of borax
4 cups of hot water
5 gallon bucket
MORE water

Melt the grated soap in a saucepan with 4 cups of water.

 Fill up the bucket half way with hot water.  Add the melted soap, washing soda, and borax to the bucket.

Mix and make sure everything has dissolved.  Then add more water to fill the bucket.  Let it stand overnight and it will turn to gel.

Some people use the soap at this point.  One cup per load.  But the Duggar family takes it one step farther.  They are saying that what we just made is a concentrate.   When you are ready to use it, fill half of a used name brand laundry detergent container with your newly made soap and the other have with water.  Use one cup per load!

So I'm going to try both ways...  I'll get back to you!

Knifty Knitter Dish Scrub

A simple 20 minute project with great results!  This little scrubby works great on all hard to clean pots, pans, and dishes.  All you need is a blue loom and nylon thread.  I found this stuff on a trip to home depot with my husband!

Cast on leaving 8-10 inches on the holding peg. E-wrap and  knit 15 rows.  Cast off using the gathering method.  Using the thread from the holding peg, using the gathering method to gather the other side.  Tie off and hide the thread inside.

I also made a smaller scrub by knitting just 10 rows!  Experiment away!

Again, thanks to Rostitchery for another great tutorial!

Washing Soda

So, I've been making soap like no one's biz... and now I want to go to the next level...  laundry detergent. It's economical, and I can use my homemade soap in it.  The basic ingredients are 1/2 of Borax, 1/2 cup of washing soda, and 2 cups of grated soap.  I had no problem finding the borax... but the washing soda, I couldn't find to save my life.  You would think in an urban setting, I would have no problem finding it.  So with a little research I found out you can make it!  Washing Soda is Baking Soda cooked.  By baking baking soda for about 2 hours on 400 degrees, the baking soda becomes washing soda.  If you are interested in the chemistry of it... google it....  but I must say....  I am now a proud maker of laundry detergent.  Two table spoons of detergent into the load... and I have clean clothes!