Healthier Eating

All of this healthier cooking and baking, has allowed us to lose weight, even when we forget or have little time to exercise. Ever since I started making heart healthy meals, I've noticed most of us slimming a bit, and having a lot more energy.

I love doing research, so I'm spending quite a bit of time reading about every food I cook with, and learning the benefits to our bodies. I've researched and continue to research about the foods we grow ourselves. I've learned a great deal about the affects of sodium and how we were including way too much of it with canned foods.

I've taken a free home study course on how to preserve foods, and passed the course. It was fun and I learned something new. Next year, I will be canning - something my grandmother used to do. I've learned to blanch my cut zucchini before freezing, and so much more. It's been fun!

All of this has led me to write so many new articles. On eHow I wrote how to register for the free home study course (which i found out about in MaryJane's Farm Magazine), and I've written an article on Helium about how to add fiber to your diet. I've added articles on eHow how to make our Refried Beans, and my famous "tades" as my 7 year calls them. The more garlic flavor, the more she'll eat. And through it all, we are staying healthy.

Meet "Marley" the Kitten

Jasper (black tiger) and Tiger (gold Tiger)

I've been working on handmade Christmas ornaments and each one requires drying time. Each morning, for the last two days, Jasper (dubbed Marley) has taken off with my Seashell Milk Ring Ornaments. Grr! Luckily, I've been able to rescue the ornament, but that kitten can still find trouble.

He's taken off with my son's earphones to his MP3 Player, he's knocked over 2 plants and has successfully broken one pot, he's dug into each and every plant in the house, and he's pulled curtains down off the windows. This is all minimal damage compared to other things he's capable of.

I've used an entire roll of masking tape to tape across the tops of all the plant pots that are left. Even though it's there, I still find dirt outside the pot - Grr! Masking tape has not worked, mothballs have not even bothered him, and a spray with jalapeno sauce onto the plants has not worked either. He's unbreakable. He went around the house and took a nibble of each and every mothball he could find, and threw it all up the next morning. Luckily, he's okay and back to his frisky self, but mothballs???!! Hence the dubbed name "Marley".

And now that I know he gets into my room and drinks directly from my water cup, I now have a refillable water cup with a straw that closes down. No more kitty spit in my water!

Yesterday I pulled a desk drawer open. I heard paper crinkling, but didn't see anything, so I pushed the drawer shut. All the sudden I heard something in that same drawer. And this drawer is very narrow, not your typical drawer. So I open the drawer, and out pops Jasper!

In the morning, if someone doesn't get them feed soon enough for him, he'll tip one of the dogs food bowls over, let it spill out onto the floor and have a snack. Our dogs dishes are up on racks for their convenience, but Jasper things they are part of a jungle gym.

Yesterday I cleaned off the counter tops around the computer area. Every day both kittens jump up onto my papers and the floor gets decorated with pens, papers, paper clips, markers, highlighters, and anything else that's within their paws. I just have to remember to put the drying Christmas ornaments some where else for the night.

All of the mothballs are now in the trash, but we stay alert for Jasper's next move. Now I'm wondering what will happen to the Christmas tree this winter. Gulp!