I am in Love...With Geranium (My Struggle with Anxiety)



Yes, I admit it, I am in love with Geranium Essential Oil.

Like most essential oils, Geranium has a long list of healing properties.

Finally Get Fit Challenge



Need to get fit? Need to be healthier? Have you started and stopped, tried and failed?

Join me and together I know we can all FINALLY GET FIT!

I am not a doctor or a personal trainer, I have only a little background in personal fitness. This plan is to motivate me and hopefully you, a way to share the journey to fitness with others, a way for us to encourage and help each other.

There is no age limit, anyone can do this! Yes I know we are busy, and I know how hard it can be to make wellness an important part of our lives. That's why we need to do it. I have been working out off and on most of my adult life. I have always found that once I establish a routine it gets a bit easier. And once I start to see results it gets easier. We will concentrate on fitness and wellness. If weight loss is a part of that then this will be great for you but even if you are at a healthy weight you still need to focus on being healthy and fit. We all need to tone and tighten our bodies, improve our cardiovascular systems, boost our immune systems.

Skinny Pumpkin Nog Shake

Photo property of IHeartNaptime.net

One of my favorite Christmas treats is Eggnog plus I love everything pumpkin. But I am also trying to somewhat watch calories. Good news, this only has about 120 calories per serving so its definitely a winner for me.

I found this recipe at I Heart Naptime, there is also a recipe for Eggnog Cookies and a link for a $1.00 of coupon for the Eggnog she used so be sure to check it out.

I love the way she used graham cracker crumbs on the rim of the glasses. ♥

Picture property of IHeartNaptime.net



Ingredients

  • 1 cup low fat Eggnog
  • 1/2 cup low fat frozen vanilla yogurt or ice cream
  • 1/4 cup chilled pumpkin puree
  • 2 Tablespoons graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice
  • 8-10 ice cubes


Instructions

  • Place everything in a blender and blend until smooth. 
  • Serve immediately! 
  • Enjoy


See original recipe here!


Chili like Wendy's!


I had seen this recipe several times on various social media and it looked good so I tried it. And it is delicious!  I did make one adjustment, the original recipe called for 1/4 cup chili powder. I prefer a mild chili so I cut it to 2 Tablespoons and it was plenty! I honestly think 1/4 cup would be too much.

How to Replace Mini Blind Slats



If you have dogs (or cats) you may have at least one set of blinds like this one. My little Sadie, an Italian Greyhound, got excited about something going on outside that she couldn't see and caused this damage.

Peanut Butter and Corn Chip No Bake Cookies

Photo property of skiptomylou.org


I had been dying to try this simple recipe from skiptomylou.org.  I mean it has two of my favorite snacks, peanut butter and Fritos! Well, a couple of nights ago my hubby said "we need something sweet". This isn't a request he often makes but I was in the mood too and of course I thought of this recipe. After all, I had all the ingredients, so why not.

Spark Naturals Affiliate Program - Work at Home



Do you love Essential Oils as much as I do? Would you like to be able to share the benefits of essential oils with friends and family and earn money at the same time? Or would you like to be able to earn a little just to help you pay for your own essential oils?

Do I have a deal for you! ♥♥

Stewed Okra, Tomatoes, and Onions



This dish has been a favorite of mine for most of my life but I had not made it for years. My Mom actually asked for it recently and I wondered why it had been so long!


This is one of those southern dishes that is made without a recipe but I did notice how much I was using of everything this time so I could share with you.

Cider-Brined Pork Roast with Potatoes and Onions


Seriously? This is the best pork roast I have ever had. Tender, juicy, and very favorable. The original recipe is from bonappetit.com and I only made one change.

The original recipe called for a bone-in pork loin roast, chine bone removed, rib bones frenched, tied with kitchen twine. Yea right.... I opted for a boneless pork loin. There are a lot of steps but if you read through them they are really not complicated and I really like that the pork can be brined up to 2 days ahead of time!

Working with Essential Oils


I have been using and loving Essential Oils for some time now and have even begun playing around with my own blends for specific ailments.

Kahlua Creamy Fudge




I love Kahlua and my husband loves fudge. So when I saw this recipe at aphemmephoodie.com, I knew I had to give it a try,

It was really quite simple to make but there are a couple of things you have to make sure of. You do have to bring the ingredients listed in step one to a full boil and boil for a full five minutes. I set a timer to make sure. Don't walk away or it will burn, you pretty much need to stir the whole time.

Five Ways to Dress Up a Faux Pumpkin



I love to decorate for fall. Not really Halloween decorations but Fall decorations, like pumpkins!

Easy Homemade Cinnamon Rolls (Using Bread Machine & Hot Roll Mix)


I've been making fresh bread for over 30 years now. A few years ago we purchased a bread machine from Walmart...I had my doubts. All I can say now is that I love it!

Black-Eyed Pea & Sausage Stew


It's actually beginning to get a little cooler here. Even though its mid October its still shorts and t-shirt weather. But the nights are getting cooler and today was a particularly cloudy, gloomy day. Not to mention that hubby and I spent most of the day scraping and sanding our old front door that must have had a gazillion coats of paint on it.

Help for Adult ADHD (My Story)

First let me tell you that I have never officially been diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), not as a child nor as an adult. As a child I found it difficult to concentrate. It was impossible to study or do homework unless things were very quite. If I could hear a TV or radio playing or any talking I simply could not concentrate on the work in front of me. I was also full of energy, as people put it back then. One of my high school teachers kindly told me I had "nervous energy". My first grade teacher wrote a letter to my Mom after the first 6 weeks of school simply saying that she had "given up" on keeping me in my chair or keeping me quite.



White Fir Essential Oil



Don’t you just love diffusing Essential Oils that remind us of Christmas and winter?  White Fir is perfect for diffusing during the winter, with a fresh, clean, woody scent it blends well with several other EO’s including German Chamomile, Cedarwood, Cypress, Frankincense, Juniper, Lavender, Lemon, Myrtle, Pine, Sandalwood and Rosewood.



"No. 2" Spray

Photo is property of One Good Thing.


Some things are a little sensitive to write about. This is one of them. We all need to "go", but we prefer to be able to do it in complete privacy, in our own home, with no one else home. Am I right? 

But it doesn't always work that way does it? At some point we all need to take care of business at inopportune times. Maybe when visiting relatives or at work or the emergency visit to a public bathroom (yuk, the worst).

We can spray, light a match, whatever...but there is still that lingering odor. At best we sometimes end up with a smell something like meadow flowers in a cow stable.

Well here is your answer! Mix up this essential oil blend and spritz it right in the toilet on top of the water just before you "go".  It will disperse over the water creating a vapor barrier that traps offensive odors.

DIY Wine Tags with Chalk Paint


As the weather starts to cool we start thinking about winter and winter holidays and winter holiday parties! There can be a lot of them with friends, co-workers, and family. 

Giant White-Chocolate Pecan Cookies



These cookies are made with white chocolate and buttery pecans.

Really? Do I need to say any more than that? 

They truly are great cookies. Big, gooey, sweet, glorious cookies.

Going to the gym!



I'm not a big fan of exercise in general. Treadmills (aka dreadmill), ellipticals, stair climbers....ugh & double ugh. The word boring doesn't even begin to describe it.

But i'm getting up there a bit in age...63 in fact. And its no longer about looking better, its about not having to take blood pressure meds, and keeping blood sugar levels under control. Its about keeping bones strong and fighting osteoporosis, keeping my heart strong, and my joints moving.

Pimento Cheese



Who knew homemade Pimento Cheese was this easy?  My husband loves Pimento Cheese but I'm always concerned about added preservatives and food coloring found in prepared foods so I decided to make my own.

I found several recipes but most were basically the same with just a few simple variations. For example some used white cheddar cheese while others used yellow and a few used some of each. Some also used a little cayenne or onion powder. 

Apple Carrot Nibbles - Wheat Free Dog Treats



I am always on the lookout for good and healthy dog treat recipes. Thing is, I also want them to be easy. :)  I found these treats made with applesauce, carrot, and rice flour and decided to give them a go. They were very simple and easy to make and my dogs love them, in fact I already need to make another batch!

Easy Cooked Corn


I saw this recently on Facebook by Heili Erika and of course I had to give it a try! (See original here)

Result? It worked like a dream! The corn came out perfect and the husks and silk strings slid right off!  Just make sure you cut the bottom of the corn off high enough so it cuts off a little of the corn, that way your sure to get where the husk is attached. I had to loosen the husks just a little around the bottom after cooling and then pulled a little to get the corn to slide out. This was so easy! 


Chicken Carrot Chilly Bones

Photo by doggydessertchef.com


This is such a great idea!  We love frozen treats in the summer so wouldn't our dogs love them too?

Peanut Butter and Pumpkin Dog Treats



I am always on the lookout for healthy dog treats that are also easy to make and that my dogs will love. I found this one on allrecipes.com and only made a few modifications. This one does have whole wheat flour but for my dogs that's okay in moderation. I just try to stay away from white flour. Remember however that these are treats....not meals! lol

Cheesy Chicken Tater Tot Casserole {Slow Cooker}



The weather is starting to get hot here. That coupled with my new part time job is making crock pot recipes look extra good. It just so happened that I had some tater tots in my freezer and I had some chicken breasts....humm...

Seashell Pasta, Basil, Tomato, and Garlic Salad



I was looking for a recipe to take to a monthly girl's dinner and ran across this one on Big Sis Lil Sis Blog. I love basil and garlic and who doesn't like Parmesan cheese? So I gave it a go and the results were really good.
This recipe is indeed a keeper. It would be great to take out in the boat this summer because it doesn't have any mayonnaise. Oh, and my girlfriends loved it too!

Apple Pie Bites



Here is another amazing easy to do recipe that I first saw on Facebook. I Googled it and found many web sites with this recipe with little variation. So I'm figuring they must be popular which means they must be good! My husband's favorite pie is apple but making a whole apple pie for just the two of us just seems absurd so I decided to give this a try.

Result? They were really good! Be careful to not use apple slices that are too thick as they may not cook completely. I'm also thinking that brushing with melted butter before sprinkling with cinnamon sugar and baking would be an improvement, but not a necessity. I think we have a winner!

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Roll-Ups




I saw these fabulous roll-ups by Incredible Recipes on Facebook recently. They looked so good I had to give them a try.

Pineapple Angel Food Cake


I really like simple recipes.  I also really like recipes that don't require a lot of work or clean up. But of course the end result has to be good too!

Jody's Waldorf Salad



I normally think of Waldorf Salad as a fall dish. But, I needed to take a dish to a girl's dinner and needed something that went well with pork. BTW, the hostess made the BEST pork tenderloin I have ever had! I have to find out how she cooked it because mine never turns out that good.

DIY Recover Your Dining Room Chairs for under $15.00


We acquired a dining room suit almost 20 years ago that had ivory fabric on the seats. The ivory was pretty but I knew I would have to recover them eventually because a light solid color just shows everything. I tried to get out a few stains as the years went by but they were looking worse all the time. So I figured it was time...


Gooey Orange Glaze Chicken Thighs



These Gooey Orange Glaze Chicken Thighs are a crowd pleaser for sure. The sauce is sweet and tangy and is also great on wings!

Crock Pot Cinnamon Pecans!


We love pecans. Pecans are part of every holiday meal around here, we use them in desserts and even side dishes like Sweet Potato Casserole. Just plain pecans fresh out of the shell are soooo good. Hopefully they were gathered from one's own yard but a gift from a neighbor or relative is awesome too.

Venison Roast with Vegetables


If you grew up around here you ate two things quite often. Fresh seafood that your family or a friend caught and venison obtained the same way. Venison is very lean and actually much sweeter I think than beef. I always heard that if the deer was harvested properly it would be easy to cook. If it wasn't....well it may not be possible to make it taste good, without that "gamey" taste. 

My Top 10 Tips for a Healthier 2013


Its January...and most of us are thinking about one of two things, taxes and fitness. 

I think that losing weight / fitness is probably the most popular New Years Resolution, and probably the most likely to fail. Why? Because people give up. They give up when it gets hard or inconvenient. They give up because the motivation that got them started seems to fade away.

Chicken Parm Casserole


Ever just throw something together and it turns out really good and then you can't remember how you made it?  Well I had this leftover chicken......