7 Day Mental Diet. . .Who wants to join me?

My 15 yo daughter started an amazing facebook page called Positive Thinking. On this page there is a challenge to do a 7 day mental diet. I LOVE this concept! The idea came from a youtube video of Tony Robbins. The idea is to go on a mental diet for SEVEN days; a diet of absolutely NO negative thoughts or words. He explains in the video how to accomplish this and how to redirect the negative in your life. Click here to like the her page, watch the video, and then make a comment below the link to join us in this 7 day mental diet! I am SO excited to try this. What a wonderful way to improve our health, relationships, and SO much more!

Salvation Army: A Love-Hate Relationship!

I have a love-hate relationship with Salvation Army. I LOVE the organization itself and the wonderful service they provide. I also LOVE the great deals I get for the things I need. So where does the hate come in? I'm a minimalist of course! OK, perhaps hate it a strong word. I strongly dislike the feeling I get in the store full of "stuff". This "stuff" calls to people (ok, I admit. . .it used to talk to me too!). It says, "Buy me! I'm cheap! You need me! It IS for a good cause! And my favorite. . .If you don't end up using me you can always re-donate me!". How many of you have heard these words run through your mind as you shop at a Salvation Army or Goodwill? I have! 

How do you avoid the "Cheap, but don't need it trap"? DON"T go in! I make it a point to only go into a SA if I am looking for something specific (that I need)! Never go to just "shop". You run the risk of becoming a victim to the words in your head! 

I went to SA today with a specific need. My daughter will be moving back in with us soon and having a baby. =) Yep, I'm going to be a grandma! =) We have a dinning room table without enough chairs. We have made do with using an old piano bench (because I am frugal and minimal). Even with a piano bench we were crowded. I decided I needed at least 3 chairs, but 4 would be better. I cashed an unexpected check and headed to SA with $43 in hopes I could buy 4 chairs and a center piece for less then that. It was my lucky day! They were having a one day sale on all furniture. . .50% off! YiPpEe! I bought 4 chairs, a center piece, and a mat for it for only. . .$18! As a minimalist, I don't usually do center pieces, but the room is very plain with no decor on the walls. It is still a very simple room. A picture of my results is below. It is not beautiful and fancy, but I love the country feel and the miss matched chairs. It matches our miss matched family! =) BTW, one of those chairs was white! I bought some inexpensive brown spray paint ($2) and my daughter painted it. Can you guess which one?

So, what did I do with the extra money? I began to walk out of the store, proud that I only bought what I needed and that it was a lot less then anticipated! Wait. . .not so fast! Yep, something caught my eye! It was a box. It was a little logo that caught my attention. "Organic?" What could they possibly sell at SA that says "organic"? I was curious. . .I walked over and picked up the box. I was so jazzed! It was a starter kit for organic heirloom seeds for tomatoes. This wasn't a temptation, but rather smart shopping. It had the kit with a small pack of several seeds. I stuck it in the cart without hesitation. Then looking up again, I saw another one for carrots and lettuce. Now looking around, I saw another box on the shelf over. Three boxes (basil & cilantro; my favorite herbs)! Now I was on a treasure hunt! I ended up finding NINE boxes scattered throughout the store (don't ask me why they weren't all together)! 

For those who may not know, heirloom seeds are seeds that are NOT GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) and the seeds from the product of that seed can be reused. In essence, one seed can ultimately produce hundreds and even thousands of produce. And these were organic heirloom. Each box was only $1! I also found a bag of Jiffy-7 Peat Pellets for $.80! This was a future homesteaders find today! =)

So, some "collectors" might say, "See, you would have missed out on that amazing deal had you not gone in there?" Some might argue that this is why they must go in there to "shop" on occasion, especially if there is a sale or special. My response to that would be that I wouldn't have missed out on anything! Why? Because I wouldn't have known! You can't "miss out" on something if you don't know you're missing out. On the contrary, I believe this was a blessing I received for being frugal and sustainable.

So what happened to the rest of my money? I took a friend out to lunch. :o) What a happy, frugal, sustainable day! =)

Dairy Free, Gluten Free, and Raw! Yummy Cookies.

These cookies were SUPER easy to make, very inexpensive, and very healthy. You can bake them if you'd like, but I just stuck them in a dehydrator for a few hours and they were SO yummy. They are vegan, raw, and gluten free. Here lies the challenge. . .when I make up recipes I don't measure! So I will do the best I can. 

 I do know that I added:

2 ripe bananas (soft, but not too brown)

about 1 cup of gluten free oatmeal

1 t. vanilla (i love vanilla so you can adjust to your taste)

about 1/2 t. cinnamon

honey to taste (about 1 tbs)

pecans, raisins, and coconut (w/no sugar) to taste

water (about 1/4-1/2 c.)

 I smash the the bananas and then pour in the water. Then I add the cinnamon and vanilla. Then I fold in the oats. When it's mixed well, I add the pecans (cut into small pieces), raisins, and coconuts. I then form then into cookie shapes, put them on a dehydrator sheet, and place them on about 105 degrees for a few hours until they are the consistency I like. If you prefer to bake them in an oven you can put them on 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. My kids love these!

If you'd prefer a fat free version you can omit the pecans. The ingredients are easy to find and pretty inexpensive. Most importantly, they are good for you and the kids will love them! Enjoy!

Have a Happy, Healthy, and Frugal day! Live Simple. =)

I'm Still Here!

(picture source)

SO sorry so much time has gone by. Moving to a big city (for me), homeschooling, doing a cleanse, and house searching has been very distracting! However, I am having SO much fun! I love living in my new city (even though I am out in the country). This new town has SO much to offer! My daughter and I went to our first raw food meet up nearby. We met some wonderful people, ate some delicious raw food, and had an amazing time. There are so many health food stores, co-ops, farmers markets, and even a YUMMY vegan/raw restaurant  that we've been to a few times. For being in the mid west, this is a frugal healthy girl's dream! We even have an Amish community nearby with a wonderful discount store and lots of farmer's markets with organic produce. My kitchen has been full of yummy fresh produce that my kids, hubby, and I are loving!

The challenge of living here? GAS! ugh! Everywhere I go, I have to drive, drive, drive! With us increasing our amount of fresh raw produce that we eat, we are forced to grocery shop more often. I have discovered GFS out here that we can get bulk food items without a membership for a great price. However, fresh produce is a tricky subject as it has to be purchased more often. Once we have our own home and can grow a garden as large as we want that will make things easier in the summer time.

I was able to get a TON of free corn from my parents. We picked it, cooked it, cut it off the cob, and froze it. I did cut quit a few off the cob raw and froze it so I could add it to some yummy raw food recipes. I also got lots of free tomatoes from a friend. That is my favorite food on earth. . .fresh, warm tomatoes from a garden. . .aahhh. . .I also helped a friend cut and freeze some peaches and she gave me a few gallons of frozen peaches for helping. They are so yummy and perfect plain or in smoothies. It has helped to have family and to have met some amazing people willing to share. See why I have LOVED living here! OH, I forgot to mention that my mom had me help her clean out her 3 (yes 3) freezers and sent me home with almost a freezer full of food that her and my dad would just never be able to get to. A lot of it was some very yummy homemade meals. Thanks mom! ;)

Things are getting a slower and more simple for me now. I think about my blog and my readers often. I have more I want to share with all of you. I would love to share with you my journey to cleansing my candida and parasites. . .well, perhaps you may not want to hear about that! haha!


Have a happy, healthy, frugal, and simple week. =)

Illness, Death, and Moving. . .

I can't believe it has been nearly a month since I last posted. This post isn't a post tips for health or frugality,  but rather an update. I haven't had the time to blog lately, as we have been going through a LOT!

I have spoken in at least two other posts about the elderly lady that was living in our apartment with us. Well, she became very ill and required full time care. I had promised her years ago that I would never take her to a hospital, doctor, or nursing home. She was very into natural health and wanted nothing to do with medical. I wanted to honor her wishes, but she did become very ill. Taking care of her required a lot of time and our family was more then happy to do so!

A few weeks into her illness, my husband got another job in another state! It was so sudden and unexpected! I wasn't sure what to do with my dear friend. I new she was too ill to make that far of a move. We decided to move her in with another dear friend of ours. She had become so frail and week that moving her seemed a difficult task. It was SO sad and disheartening to see her leave. However, she was so ready to "go back home" as she put it. She wanted to be with her husband who had passed a few years ago.

Well, I still went over there each day and helped my friend take care of her. . .feeding her (what little, if any, she ate), changing her, and more. On the third day of her being there my friend called me over to her house. My dear friend and I held this sweet woman's hand for nearly an hour as she passed away (5-24-12). It was a bitter sweet experience for me. I've never been so intimate with death before.

After her death came the tears, the planning and preparation for her funeral (and all the drama that goes with that), and the grueling efforts to relocate a family of 8! To make a long story short, we went to the funeral on a Friday, then spent the day with my adult children we were leaving behind, then took off to our new place on Saturday! Our stuff did not reach us until the following Wednesday.

I thought before this move that I was a minimalist. However, when you move from a 4,600 sq. ft. home with 8 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, 3 living rooms, and 2 kitchens to a home a little over 2,000 sq. ft. (if that, I don't know what the sq. footage is really), you run out of room very quickly! However, I am VERY excited for the smaller space. I LOVE the simplicity of this small country home. I am definitely going to get rid of more "stuff", but when I am all settled my home will be SO easy to take care of!

I hope you can see now, why I haven't posted for a while! As soon as I get a little more settled, I'll get right back on the wagon of giving great tips to being frugal, healthy, and more simplified!

In memory of Ruby Chrisman 8-24-24 to 5-24-12 You will be loved and missed by many!

Have a Happy Simple Day!!

Green Smoothies~Yum!!

Yum! A bit on health tips here today. I LOVE my green smoothies! I like to keep mine basic and simple as usual! I try to feed my kids smoothies at least once a week (sometimes more) and I usually drink one 3-7 days a week. For those of you who know me, or have read previous posts, I am NOT good at doing exact recipes. I am not my mother's daughter when it comes to that. :(

I basically start with a blender full of greens (spinach, kale, or a dark lettuce), Then I add a cup full of chia seeds (2 tbs to 2 cups water, let set until "gooey"), 1 frozen banana, a handful of frozen berries (about 1/2 c.), 1-2 organic carrots, and an organic apple. I also had a teaspoon of Truly Vitamin C and a little bit of honey if I feel like it.

I blend it in my Vita-Mix and it usually makes about a quart. If you are new to drinking smoothies, you may want to start with less greens and more fruit. As you get used to drinking the smoothies gradually add more greens and less fruit. The greens that you put in the smoothie are the most nutritious part of the smoothies. Greens are a VERY important part of our diet. Greens are a healing food that help the body to be at the proper pH balance. Now as a person who believes in whole foods and really tries to avoid animal products, please don't put milk or yogurt in your smoothies! If you are a person who likes the creamier tastes then add some soy milk or almond milk. I'll do another blog post on how to make your own almond milk and even soy milk at home. I am all for homemade whenever possible!

I would suggest drinking a smoothie to start your day each day. What a healthy way to start your day. For more smoothie recipe ideas and info go see the green smoothie girl! This is an excellent website to get more ideas on smoothies, the benefits of them, and some great success stories. Also, I sometimes add a few kefir crystals to mine!

Have a Healthy, Happy, and Frugal day!

Stay Tuned. . .I am working on a post to give you my menu for all of my vegetarian dinners that I prepare for my family. I'll show you that it doesn't have to be expensive to eat healthy! 

By sowing frugality we reap liberty, a golden harvest.  ~Agesilaus

Kefir Water ~ Please HELP!!

I have a 3 fold purpose for this post:

1. Teach you the benefits of Kefir water

2. Teach you how to keep it alive and grow more!

3. To BEG you to take some off of my hands! Mine is growing out of control!

As usual, I want to start by sharing with you the many benefits of drinking Kefir water. I'll start with a short, simple list:

• Contributes to a healthy immune system
• Promotes a relaxing affect on the nervous system
• Helps relieve insomnia
• Helps support your normal intestinal tract function, promote bowel movements and a healthy digestive system
• Restores balance to the digestive tract, so VERY useful during and after a course of antibiotics and after food poisoning
• Has been used to treat metabolic disorders, atherosclerosis, allergic disease, tuberculosis, cancer and other gastrointestinal disorders
• They have been shown to control facial acne in 80% of adolescents 
• Rich in vitamin B-12, vitamin K and biotin

Get a lot more information on Kefir water HERE

Now, how to make it! This is what the water kefir crystals look like.

 The recipes and ratios are not an exact science. Kefir water crystals require sugar to eat. For those who are brand new to kefir or who have never heard of it, kefir is a live bacteria and requires certain things to stay alive. You can research this out on your own. I have done lots of research and have learned more by trial and error.

I start with 8 Tbs. of RAW sugar. There are lots of different forms of sugar you can use, but I would stay away from the white processed sugar. You can also use pure maple syrup. Do NOT use honey, as it has wonderful anti-bacterial properties and can actually kill the kefir crystals.

I then poor in a little bit of water to let the sugar dissolve a little. This isn't absolutely necessary, but I prefer to do it this way. 

I then add approximately 3/4-1 c. of kefir crystals, one date or other dried fruit that does not have sulfate on it. Citrus fruits do not work as well for the first fermentation.  Then I fill the quart jar with SPRING water. Do NOT use purified water or RO water. I learned this the hard way and could not get my kefir to grow. The kefir NEEDS the extra minerals in the water.

I then add a milk nut bag on top with a ring or rubber band to hold it on. Kefir also needs air to live and breath, so do not put a solid lid on it unless you put it in a larger jar and leave lots of "air" space. You could also use cheese cloth. Depending on where you live the ring/rubber band is important as fruit flies LOVE kefir water! 

I then let the kefir mixture ferment for 24-48 hours. It can sit longer  then that (up to 3-4 days), but that time frame is optimal. If you can see it, I put a little black mark on the jar below to show you where the kefir started out. Below that picture is where the kefir is after only 27 hours! Keep in mind, that is only ONE jar and I'm doing THREE! See why I need people to come take some off my hands?!

When it is time to strain and rinse the kefir crystals, I just dump it through one of the nut milk bags, rinse it well, and pick out in debris the dates may have left. Be sure your hands and any utensils you are working with are CLEAN!

The picture below is the same measuring cup from above only 27 hours later. If you notice, the Kefir has doubled in size!

Once you have a full fermentation, you have a few choices. You can simply drink it plane or add a small amount of juice (Welch's 100% grape juice is our family favorite). It only takes a small amount of juice to flavor the water. I've never measured exactly, but I would guess about 2 cups kefir water to 1/4 c. juice.

You can also do a 2nd fermentation with fruit. Be sure to drain the kefir crystals before doing a 2nd fermentation.  My favorite with that one is to smash some fresh or thawed frozen strawberries and add a few slices of lemon. If they are not organic lemons be sure not to put the peel in there. I learned the hard way to still allow AIR in this 2nd fermentation. LOL! I woke up one morning to water ALL over my counter top and dripping on the floor! This 2nd fermentation should only ferment for 24-36 hours. Be sure to strain the fruit. It tastes like strawberry lemonade. YUM!!

Just to recap a little: water kefir needs water, air, and sugar to survive and grow. If your kefir is growing out of control and you can't drink as much as it is producing, or you will be gone and can't take care of it, there is a few options. First, SHARE it with others! Second, it's ok to eat the kefir crystals, or Third, if you want it to be dormant for a while, put it in a jar w/some sugar water and put it in the fridge for a few weeks.

Ok, now for the fun part! I get to share!! If you live close by, please just call or stop by and grab some! Please!! I can't keep up with this much! If you are long distance, I am figuring out now how to send it in the mail. I will only charge you the cost of shipping! I'm not set up to receive payments online, so you will have to send me a check. 

So readers, please help me help yourself! You will be so pleased with the benefits on your health! You will also be pleased with how EASY it is and soon you'll be begging to share!

Have a Happy, Healthy Day!!