Raw "Green" Smoothies

Now doesn't that sound appetizing?
Oh but these are sooo good!
I am trying to eat healthier, but I don't always, so I started adding one or two of these smoothies to my day and they are filled with so many good and healthy things, that I can make one of these a meal.

My favorite so far, and what I have been drinking for the past 3 days is the..

Berry Blast
1 cup raspberries
1 cup blueberries
1 apple (cut up for an easier blend)
3 handfuls of baby spinach
2 cups water

Blend together the fruit and water for 30 seconds. Add spinach and blend until smooth.
Spinach?! Yup..trust me, you can't even taste it. The fruit flavors come out and overpower the spinach. But think of all the vitamins and goodness you are getting from the spinach. Just don't tell your kids what's in it. They will love it.

Banana Smoothie
1/2 Romaine lettuce
3 bananas
2 cups water

Blend the bananas with water for 30 seconds. Add lettuce and blend until smooth.

Warming Ginger
1 head Romaine lettuce
1 cup pineapple
1 large mango
1 inch fresh ginger
2 cups water

Blend the fruit, ginger and water for 30 seconds. Add lettuce and blend until smooth.

I got these recipes out of a magazine from Victoria Boutenko's book Green Smoothie Revolution
I doubt I'll ever totally go raw and green, because I like food too much, but this is something I can add to my day, and know that's it's healthy. And if I don't tell my kids that I added spinach or lettuce, they will drink it too.
I do mix up the ingredients at times. If I have different fruits, I will use those. I am going to blend me up a banana smoothie right now, but I don't have romaine lettuce, so I will use spinach. Fresh fruits can be expensive, so I sometimes buy bags of frozen fruit. (with no sugar added)
I also don't always following the measuring directions. I probably would halve or quarter the head of lettuce, because that just sounds huge!
With the warmer days ahead of us, these are very refreshing. Try one and let me know if you loved it.

Weekend Update

What a fabulous 4th we had. Party at our house.

# of people - 36

# of brats grilled - 36

# of hamburgers grilled - 24

# of hot dogs grilled - 14

# of salads (different varieties) - 6

# of desserts (different varieties) - 6

# of food left over - not much

# of fireworks shot off in the driveway - didn't count, but it was a lot.

# of oohs and ahhs - many

# of injuries - none praise God

# of neighbors shooting off their own fireworks - many all around us

# of fun times - tons

# of pictures I took to showcase this event - ZERO
Can you believe it? I was so busy that I had no time to take 1 photo or video.

It was such a great time and the weather was wonderful.

Sunday night we watched a neighboring city's fireworks, then 3 of my family members came over after and we tore in to the leftovers from the party.

I love celebrating this holiday. But we are all so beat! The girls have been getting to bed so late, but they sleep in so it's not too bad. Phoebe told me she's ready to get back on her schedule. :o)

Today I catch up on laundry and try to get back to normal. Hope all of you had a great weekend too.

Seeing Red, and a little green

The girls and I, plus 2 of my sisters went strawberry picking today. Phoebe and I each picked a box full. It's all fun and games until you bring them home and someone has to clean them.

That would be me. Phoebe helped.

We ended up with 9 quarts. I kept some out to make this...

I also picked up a gallon of sugar snap peas. Love these.

This bounty was a part of a very fresh and tasty supper tonight. And probably tomorrow, and the next day, and the next...

I spent all that money for that?

Today we had our family photo taken for a church photo directory. OK, that's cool. So last week on our little ride, I found the cutest matching shirts for the girls and I. Fancy white blouses with hand painted flowers on them. I had some birthday money, so it didn't bother me to spend that kind of money on 3 shirts. (until today) Around $80.

The girls and I had our matchy, matchy shirts on, with matchy matchy black pants, and matchy matchy black sandals. Perry had the opposite of us on. Black shirt, with light colored pants.

We looked great! The people at church helping out with this photo session oohed and ahhed when we came in. I had in my head just how I wanted this photo to look.

We take the typical pose that they want for the church directory, they take a few more shots, then they take some of just the girls.

OK they say...you're done.

What? This is not what I had in mind.

What happened to our matchy, matchy look? All you can see of my shirt is my right sleeve. What the heck! And forget the pants and matchy, matchy sandals. Nowhere to be found.

Perry liked the portrait so he ordered a big one for our house, and one for his mom.

What a waste of money. If I knew that was going to happen, I could have saved money on my blouse and wore a white blouse that I already have.

Not to mention the photo looks so posed and boring. I don't think the girls are even smiling.

Now I have to look at this thing for life, knowing how much I hated this day.

I told Perry I'm taking the girls and me, in our matchy, matchy outfits to Picture People next week, and have another photo session. I have a coupon for a free 8x10 or 10x13, plus 25% off anything else I may buy.

He felt bad for me, because I spent so much money on the outfits, that he said go ahead and get what I want. He will be out of town, and he doesn't want to have another photo taken of him, so it will be just us girls.

I'll just put that photo near the boring picture, and I should be OK with it.

I'll post pictures of them when I get them.

A meal at A&W made up for my pouty mood. Nuthin' like a frosty mug o root beer to make your troubles go away.

Still below Zero and no school

17 below 0 this morning. School was called off last night already. The wind chill warning is supposed to end around noon today. And...oh happy day, we are to get into the 20's this weekend. After weather like this, 20 really does feel like a heatwave.

Last night, I fell asleep at 9:30. I never go to bed that early. It felt great. Until the phone rang at 10:30. Hubby is working a state away, but was reading on the internet that school was canceled already, and he called to let me know, so I could sleep in.

Nobody slept in. Pearl, the cat has her little food timer inside her and wanted to eat at 6:30. Phoebe was up before 7, asking if she had school, then got mad at me for not letting her have a sleepover with Abby. (Abby has a double bed, so on weekends they have a "sleepover" in her room). Like I knew if school was going to be canceled at 8 last night.

Abby was the only one who slept later than usual. 7:30. They all piled into my bed, cat too, and watched cartoons, while I tried to get a few more winks. It was so cozy and warm, that I didn't want to get out. But, the girls were "starving" and did I want them to "die" from hunger?
Sleep, have kids die from hunger, sleep, have kids die from hunger? Ok, I chose to feed them.

Pancakes, and bacon. Yum. Made Mickey Mouse pancakes. One large pancake for head, 2 small ones for ears, bacon for face. They were impressed.

They want to go to the movie, Hotel for Dogs, but I'm trying to get it in my head that spending about $30 on movie and treats makes sense to me. Even though Phoebe said she would use her own money. We'll see.

Time to go walk on the treadmill. What bugs me about exercise, is that when I do exercise, I think I can eat any way I want and anything I want, and this is what I am doing. I rarely eat potato chips, but because I have been treadmilling, I have been eating potato chips. And candy. Like this is really going to get me anywhere. (note: junk food would not be in the house if hubby didn't want it. He's one of those who can eat and eat and eat and not gain an ounce. I hate him for that)

Pearl found a new place to cozy up in. Perry got some new coveralls, and let them lay on the floor.( and he gets after the kids for letting their stuff lie around) Pearl curled herself up in them and has been being lazy there for 4 days. I haven't got the heart to put them away.

Not Me Monday

These weeks are flying by way too fast. MckMama at mycharmingkids thought of this as great therapy. It sure makes me laugh to see how "normal" people are. Just like me.

This past week...

It wasn't me who was a total witch all week. There are three others who live here.

And they sure were not the ones who made me witchy.

I did not have a one-sided screaming match with my husband.

He did not calmly tell me to not let the door hit me in the @$$ on my way out.

That did not make me more nuts.

He does not keep telling me he loves me anyway.

I do not feel like a jerk for the way I have been acting.

I am not going to apologize to him.

I do not feel better since typing all this out, for a lot of people who don't know me, to see. (wow, this really is therapy)

I was not sad to leave my baby at a birthday party today. She is not growing up way to fast. She was not sad to see me go. (WAHHHHH she really wasn't)

I did not eat McCrappo's food two days in a row.

Boy oh boy, by the looks of my not me's I am certainly not following the ways of the devil.

Well, now that I've confessed some of my faults to all of you it looks like I got some fessin' to do before my God Almighty.
Hopefully this week I will walk in Jesus' footsteps. You all have a great week too.
Thanks for stopping by.

the rest of today...

Well, supper was a big hit! NOT. I have no complaints about Abigail. She didn't eat alot, but she ate what I put in front of her. She even said "Mmmm". Perry was to full from a late lunch to eat, and Phoebe... my lovely Phoebe. Everything I made, Phoebe has eaten in one form or another. I made meat filled ravioli, and gourmet cheese stuffed sausage links. She has had the sausage that was in the ravoli. She complained about that. Didn't like that kind of sausage. She loves pasta. But not that kind. It was square, and not thin and long. She just had the sauce that was on top of all this, the other night on her home-made pizzas that she herself made and ate and raved about. Hated the sauce tonight. And how dare I serve her a cheese filled brat (as she called it). It was a sausage link, not a brat. I told her she liked everything on that plate and to eat it. Well, you think I asked her to eat cow poo. She was having no part of it and wanted something else. Um... no Phoebe, you eat what's on your plate or you go hungry. She got nuts about something and Abby told her to "eat what's on your plate or you go hungry." (gee, where has she heard that before?) Well. Miss Phoebe didn't care for that remark coming from her little sister and said something nasty to her. Which in turn got her sent to her room.
I don't know why, but I felt bad for her and snuck some chicken nuggets up to her. Which after a few nuggets, Perry decided to go up and talk to her about eating what is put in front of her. BUSTED! He got mad at me for feeding her and not teaching her a lesson about food, which I promptly reminded him, that a few months ago he did the very same thing, when she wouldn't eat. We were now even, about letting her eat something else. I then told her to go take a shower, and Perry was mad at me again for letting her out of her room before he said so, because he was the one who sent her there. Excuse me, dear, I sent her to her room, and I let her out when I deemed appropriate. He said..."oh, that's right." So now he was mad, because he couldn't be mad at anything. Perry and I both agreed that letting her eat something else was not going to happen again, and she is aware of that, and all is well in the house. Until next time.

Today. so far

Nothing to exciting going on here. I guess that can be a good thing. I'm on the last leg of this cold. Hacking away with a dry cough.
I helped out in computer class in Phoebe's 1st grade class. A few kids sneezed all over their keyboards, but I did not cough or hack on them. Gee, and I was worried about giving them my germs. We didn't have computers when I was in school, not even high school. We were lucky to have electric typewriters. Now that's telling my era! (Think, That 70's Show)
Perry's on the phone about a prescription that the company wants to jack up $60. That's $100 total. It was $40. They want him to take a generic, and he would have no problem with that if it was available in injection form. It's not. Injections give him instant relief, a pill would take 45 minutes to 2 hours to kick in. Anyone who suffers with migraines would know about instant relief, over several minutes relief. I don't get them, so I guess I just will take his word on it.
Abby is being a bum. She should be zonking out soon. She decided to wake up at 6:30. I'm surprised she's dressed like that, it's usually a tank top and shorts.

Phoebe was hungry for pizza the other night, but I didn't have any on hand, and I didn't want to wait for delivery, so I put her to work with some english muffins, spaghetti sauce, cheese, pepperoni, oregeno, and ta-da.... mini pizzas. She thought it was cool, because she made them herself.
They tasted good too. I think I ate, um... more than 1.

My bible stares at me. I need to get into Gods word now. Happy day, everyone.

Friday stuff

Thanksgiving festivities are over. We had a great time. I cannot believe I forgot to take pictures. I guess I had no time to take pictures. I had planned on 12 people eating here...we had 14. But, we just kicked the 2 youngest kids off the table to a kiddie table, and made room. It was really nice. The food turned out great, and it all got done at the same time. Nobody was crabby, and all took innocent teasing well. (doesn't always happen in this family) After supper, 3 more people joined us for a night of BINGO. Some of us, over our shopping time, would pick up cheap (but nice, and usable) stuff to use as prizes for Bingo. I think we had over 100 prizes. We didn't play 100 games, but close, so we will just shift those prizes over to the next bingo party. Perry stuck in 2 $5 cash prizes. Congrats to my sister Kathy, and my nephew Matt for winning that.
Today, I made turkey soup, and hacked the rest of the 22# beast, for sandwiches. I polished off the stuffing and some yam dish for breakfast. Not much of the 5#'s of mashed potatoes left. I'll fry those up for some breakfast meal. A sliver of pumpkin pie is left. Who will win the fight for that?
Thanksgiving is over, all went well, and now it's time for supper. Any bets on what we're having? That's right.....cheeseburgers!

God's talking to me through chili

God got ahold of me today and it started out with a little fight about chili. My fight, not our fight.
Perry is leaving for deer hunting tomorrow. He asked me this morning if I was going to make chili for the guys. (thanks for the 3 second warning dear) I told him that two weeks ago when he asked me, I said no, because we were not rolling in that much cash, for me to get all the ingredients and make a giant batch. Of course he didn't remember that conversation. Anyway, I have this rotten habit, if habit is the right word, of first flying off the handle and thinking later. I do not want that nasty way of being. That is one thing that I pray to God about taking that away from me. and He is, little by little, that I am noticing. Today was just another little chip off my yuckiness. Why can't He just take it all away, right away? I guess it's how we learn. I have had some bad habits taken from me instantly. I got into some trouble in my drinking days. One day I stopped drinking, and never had a problem again with it. Thank you God.
ok, back to today. after ranting about his last second chili request, I of course told him I would make it, but didn't neglect to put some nastiness in my tone of voice. Wow, that chili was going to be made with love. So I went to the store, picked up the ingredients, and while getting them, I really was enjoying doing it. The bill came to about $20. That made me happy , because I really made a ton of chili to feed alot of guys, and I thought $20 was a great value. So driving away, I felt God telling me to call my hubby and apologize for getting crazy. I sometimes have a hard time apologizing, and this time was one of them. I thought, to God.. it's only chili, why should I say I'm sorry? It isn't about the chili, my dear, it is about your instant ranting and raving. That has got to stop. and an apology is in order. Yes Father. So I called.... he said hello, I said hello, he said hello, I said hello, he said hello, what can I do for you? (he was not mad at all, he's used to my attitude) I hesitate, and finally tell him that I was sorry for having a rotten attitude about making chili, and I was wrong. He told me he really appreciated that, and then went on and on how the guys rave about my chili....blah, blah, blah. Whatever, I didn't need to hear that, I just needed to apologize, and be obedient to God. So I am another step closer to getting rid of this icky attitude of instant "bite your head off". God taught me through a little thing like chili.
and I tasted it.... it's not bad. Please God, make it taste better than it really is.

These are a few of my favorite things

Had to photograph the gourmet caramel apples. They were/are soooo good. One is gone, one is still being devoured. These are Amy's gourmet apples, bought at a heavenly candy store in Cederburg, WI. The already devoured apple was caramel, covered in dark Belgium chocolate with sea salt sprinkled on it. TO DIE FOR! The other one is a Heath Bar covered apple. YUMMO!

Watching sheets drying on a clothesline is another of my simple pleasures. It takes me back to my childhood, not to mention the great outdoors smell you get when you climb in them at night. Fresh and crisp. Mmmmm.

Searching for the last blooms of summer and finding one, is another favorite thing. It's like the flower is telling Fall, "You're not getting rid of me so easy".

What are some of your "simple pleasures"?

Every knee shall bow! and husband is hungry

A friend and I were on our knees today, praising the name of Jesus. There is power in that Name. Things happen when you say the name of Jesus. Go ahead, say it. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. Watch things happen. It will be good. One day, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. Those in heaven, those on earth, and those below the earth. Some will rejoice while bowing and confessing, some will weep because they are not with the Lord and realize what happened, and others will gnash their teeth, because they hate that name, but they will then know that He is Lord Jesus, name above all names, worthy of all praise.


Times are getting tough these days. I need to tighten the belt on spending and that includes running out to get food at my husbands request. He wanted a sub, foot long mind you. I couldn't justify spending money on something he was going to...oh never mind, I just didn't want to run out again, and spend money when we had food here. So I searched the refrig, and attempted to find sub makings. Wa-la I found hot dog buns, minute steaks, cheese, onions, mayo. Fried up the meat, melted the cheese, slathered mayo and raw onions, pepper and oregano, and there I had a sub sandwich for him. He did ask for a foot long, so I made him two. He said it was the best he's had in a long time. Who needs to spend money in a fast food joint, when basic stuff around is just as good. I did my part in saving our savings for the harder times that I believe are ahead of us.

Abby has been a bum all week, and today is no exception. She stays in her pj's all day. She says they are so cuddly and that's why she is still in them. Oh well, we have no where to go. And what's this??? she just put her toys away after she was done playing with them. Well praise God... she does hear me when I speak. And the great thing about that, is that I didn't have to speak the putting the toys away speech today. Well now doesn't that make me a happy mom.
Thank you Lord for a great day.