Healthy

Healthy

That is our word for the year – Healthy!  Healthy weight, life, cooking, bank account and the list goes on.  Today marks a good day – we paid off our personal loan.  Yeah!  Now we start on the credit card and save for a house and/or a trip.  Hopefully both.  We also want to look for another place to live. I mean out of Palm Springs.  Right now we don’t know where, but we want seasons and land. Pat wants Oregon, Idaho, and Montana or somewhere in that region. I want New Zealand or Australia.  I just want what is best for us and the family.

I am making changes in my life that will help center me on my focus.  Again it is Healthy, so I want to start walking, drinking water and eating better: more veggies and fruits, and less cheese. I also stop selling Close to My Heart.  My heart is not into it any more. I will continue being crafty, but more selfish.  I want to focus on my family’s scrapbook and cards to the rest of my family. We have been to so many marvelous places and met great people, but it is not in a book.  I am making it so. I will continue tutoring though, but only take the clients I like.  I am getting selective now. 

I am now focusing on photography – taking great pictures.  I started taking a photo a day through an app called Little Moments by Fat Mum Slim.  They give me a prompt a day and I upload the picture every day to the site and FB, and now to my blog. Here is my picture today. It is to be “something yellow”, and I chose the lemons on our tree outside. 

Cheesy Zucchini Rice Recipe

Now the rice recipe which I tweaked a little bit and I will revise some more next time.  The rice and the wings my family called the recipes "Keepers". I am going to add it to the recipes in my huge book, and will make and eat them in the future.  I have a huge 3-ring binder for the recipes I keep.  The ones I tried and rejected are thrown away.  My binder is huge and will become two quite soon. 

Here is the recipe from Buns In My Oven: 

http://www.bunsinmyoven.com/2012/06/28/cheesy-zucchini-rice/

My tweaks are: I used two zucchinis; low fat shredded cheddar; and two cups with one large bouillon cube of Knorr Caldo con Sabor de Pollo.  You can find the bouillon cube in the Mexican food section. I buy mine at Walmart.  It turned out great!  Next time I will used brown rice and maybe a little less butter.  I did add fat-free milk to rice at the end.  I will tell how that modified recipe turns out.  

Zaycon Foods

Now here is an interesting meat fact. I am starting to buy most of my meat from Zaycon Foods. They sell farm fresh, no hormones added chicken, ground beef and more. The meat is sold in 40 pound cases. Yes 40 pounds! I started with bacon which I split with a friend. In early June I bought chicken thighs, and my friend bought wings and thighs. The thighs are meatier, and we are going to double the order next time. Since I drove she gave me some wings that I used in the wing recipe. I didn't have 3 pounds of wings, so I had to buy some from the grocer. The Zaycon wings were much meatier than the ones from the grocery store. You do have to watch out for feathers, because Shane got one! I think next time they sell wings I might get some, because my family loved them that much.  Chicken Breasts are on sale next! I am getting two cases (80 pounds), and I hear they are huge! If you are interested in getting meat from Zaycon here is my referral link: I get a discount on my order, when you place an order from them.

Slow-Cooker Buffalo-Barbecue Chicken Wings and Cheesy Zucchini Rice

I promised you that I would tell you how the Slow-Cooker Buffalo-Barbecue Chicken Wings and Cheesy Zucchini Rice recipes turned out. They both were awesome. Here are the wing pictures (one in the Crockpot and the other after the broiler. The wings recipe today, and the rice recipe tomorrow. I tried posting the Pillsbury recipe as a link, but I must doing something wrong. It doesn't show up. The recipe is called "Slow Cooked Buffalo-Barbecue Chicken Wings. Please go on their site and print it off. It is a great one! I had to double recipe and add some honey to the sauce. Patrick and I tried the sauce before adding it to the wings in the Crockpot. It was way too spicy for the kids, so we added honey to it to suit our taste. I suggest trying the sauce first. And I didn't use the barbecue sauce they wanted; I used the one we had in the cupboard. I am all about using what I have in the cupboards. Well the post is long enough. I will post the Cheesy Zucchini Rice recipe tomorrow. I will also talk about where I buy my meats and it is not a grocery store! By the way, they are major changes in my blog-land coming up. I hope the changes will be made within the next two weeks, so stay tuned! Happy Fourth of July!

Dave Ramsey books

Hi!

I have been reading a ton of books regarding getting out of debt. Yep, we are in debt, and it is looming over my family, especially me. I just finished Dave Ramsey's "The Total Money Makeover" and now reading "Financial Peace Revisited". If you have not heard of these books, check them out from the library. He and his wife made millions on real estate, and then lost everything when it crashed and they overspend on everything. He got out of debt finally and now making millions again. A lot of his classes are taught through your church, and it is interspersed with Bible quotations. Basically he talks about getting rid of your debt, and using cash for everything. Yes, everything. At the end of this journey, anyone can become wealthy. We are trying to adhere to his principles but it is really quite hard at times. Sharon Ramsey, Dave's wife, says if you want become wealthy, here are some basic rules: 1. Set up a budget 2. Do not overspend. 3. Stick to the budget. 4. Buy the basics. You will be able to afford the best later. 5. Save, save, save. I think the hardest part, is this month is a big one: Shane's birthday and Christmas. In the past I have always overspend, sort of like my mother when we were kids. I can't this year and my kids know it. Shane wants to spend his birthday with us only, and we are going to Farrell's, paying in cash of course. We have asked him if he wants a friend but no. In regards to Christmas, I h=am using gift cards to buy the presents. I used Swagbucks and redeem my points for Amazon gift cards because you can buy almost anything on Amazon. Wish me luck. Talk to you soon

Changed my Blog Focus

Hi!  I know that you haven't heard from me in awhile.  I have been busy with my daily life and it is finally getting into a groove. I have been trying to add creative items to my spare time.  Spare time?  What is that?  I am now tutoring as much as I can possibly can - six days a week from 2 pm and on.  That plate is very full. 

Now I want to pursue my creative side like creating cards, scrapbooks. and home décor using Close To My Heart products.  I have not stopped being a consultant for the best company out there.  I want to add more.

Yes, you heard me right more.  I am more than a Close To My Heart consultant.  I am also a Moya Moya survivor, stay at home mom, and private tutor.  I wear many hats which I like some days more than others.  That is life. 

I was talking to my therapist like I do every Thursday from 10 to 11.  I love that woman - she keeps me sane and centered.  We were discussing my wanting to write or blog more.  I want to stretch my abilities like writing.  I was a much better writer before the strokes.  Now I want to improve that area.  I told her that I am reading blogs about writing blogs and books too.  I also downloaded a blogging schedule for 2014.  I am serious about this blogging stuff.  During this discussion we were brainstorming what I could talk/write about.  We thought of these ideas:  Moya Moya syndrome, my creations with paper, cooking and ways to save money.  I realized I could write about one subject a day, and Friday is a free for all. I will take the weekends off since I want to spend it with family.   Should I add anything?  I am up for suggestions. 

This is my thinking about the name change, or should I say a much longer title.  Talk to you tomorrow. 

Grilled Margarita Chicken

from Betty Crocker

1/2 cup non-alcoholic Margarita mix

3 Tablespoon Lime juice

1 or 2 clove of crushed garlic

Course salt

3 to 3-1/2 pounds cut-up broiler-flyer chicken (I used boneless, skinless thighs and breasts)

Mix 1/2 cup of margarita mix, garlic, lime juice in a resealable plastic food bag. Add the chicken; seal bag and turn to coat with marinade.  Refrigerate and turn bag every hour. Let chicken marinate at least 1 hour but no longer than 24 hours. Remive chicken from marinade and put on grill.  Brush with marinade and sprinkle with the course salt.  Continue brushing occasionally with remaining marinade while grilling.

We are having the above chicken for dinner tonight with beans and rice casarimento (married in Spanish).  This is one of my go-to recipes because everyone likes it.  Pat and I love the leftover (if they are leftovers) because it goes great in a panini or on a salad.  I am voting for the salad.  Both of us need to lose some, all right a lot, of weight.  We have agreed to less cheese which is a major step for us, also no more buying soda.  Eeek!  How am I going to live without Coke Zero.  That is my vice. Oh well!  

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Paula