All Natural . . .

I've always had a great interest in the outdoors.  Like my previous post  Fence Needs Fixin. . . Peaches Need Pickin. . . , I've always wanted to utilize everything nature has to offer.  The simplicity of life without the outside world, the electronics, the hustle and bustle of everyday, is something we are definitely not used to.  We are constantly bombarded with things to distract us from living a peaceful life.  So, in search for that peace, I've been researching new things to try and to use that brings me closer to the organic and natural side of things. 

I think often of how life would be like without all the 'necessities' we've come to enjoy.  What would I do if all of a sudden, things in the world went crazy and I had to fend for myself and my family?  When I read about the life of the pioneers I envy their knowledge in home remedies used to help cure and prevent certain ailments.  Right now, it is so easy to just go down to a CVS or Walgreens and pick up some cold medicine or a box of bandaids.  But, what if you couldn't?  What if for some reason you didn't have access to a car?  Or at least in this economy the extra money?  What about the things we already have in our cupboard that we can use?  These questions have always pushed me on to find the 'natural' way to go about things.  So, I wanted to share a few with you that I have discovered!  These are quite interesting!

Stop Bleeding with This Spice!  (Found in virtually every cupboard)  I was seriously amazed at this one.  :)  Never thought this would actually work.

Next time you nick yourself in the kitchen, reach for the black pepper, says Roberta Lee, M.D., vice chair of the department of integrative medicine at the Beth Israel Medical Center. 

Run cold water over the wound to clean it, using soap if you were handling meat.  Then sprinkle on the pepper and apply pressure.  In no time, the bleeding will stop.  Turns out, black pepper has analgesic, antibacterial, and antiseptic properties.  

And don't worry - it won't sting.  :)

Disinfect a Wound with Honey!  (I've actually used this one before, I ran out of Neosporin)  

No Neosporin in the house?  Dab the cut with honey before covering it with a bandage.  Believe it or not, honey has powerful antibacterial properties.  A study in the Archives of Surgery found that honey is capable of destroying almost all strains of the most common wound-infecting bacteria. 

Prevent Claustrophobia by Smelling This Fruit!  

If you get nervous in small spaces such as the bus, elevators, and that closet of an office you work in, visit your local fruit stand.  A sniff of green apple may help relieve claustrophobic sensations, says Dr. Alan Hirsch, M.D., director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation.  Also, if you're selling your house, placing a basket of fresh green apples on the table may make potential buyers perceive the house as larger.

So those are just a few things that I've learned on my search.  And I'll be happy to share what else I find to live my life more organic, more natural, more green.

Third Wilton Cake Class

This week was cupcake week!  I finally found a good cake/cupcake recipe.  (I've tried so many).  Finally found one light enough that I like.  I don't like heavy cakes.

I made a lot of frosting in preparation for this class.  LOL  I spent more time preparing for the class then actually in the class. 

We learned how to do the Pom Pom flower, the Shaggy Mum flower, shells, rosettes, and the cupcake swirl.  Lots of stuff to learn.  So after we practiced on our boards we decorated our cupcakes.  There was no 'set' decoration, so we just made up stuff.  LOL  It was all for practice.  :)  

So after I decorated my cupcakes I was careful to not tip them over in the car, and of course what happens. Someone on their cell phone crossing three lanes of traffic nearly side swiped me so I had to put on the brakes so we wouldn't hit and you can guess the rest.  You'll see some of the cupcakes that didn't make it.

So here are my first attempts at some cupcakes.  :)

The light blue one in the back WAS my Pom Pom Flower (destroyed).  The dark blue one was a Shaggy Mum (destroyed).  And a few other ones that were toppled over.  And a few cute green monsters.  :)

This is my cupcake swirl.  :)

The Shaggy Mum.  (Camera got a little too close)

Practicing my leaves and Swirl Flowers.

This one was for practicing my leaves, star flower, and rosettes.

Another design.

Another Swirl . . .

Practicing my shell borders.

And some cute orange and white flowers.

I had a lot of fun tonight.  I really enjoy it.  Next week is my last class for the Course 1.  We learn how to do Ribbon Roses and we make our final cake!  I'm really excited about this cake!  It's going to be awesome.  As soon as I'm done with Course 1, I'll be signing up for Course 2.  

Second Wilton Cake Class

I was in the kitchen ALL morning making my cakes and frostings for the class I had tonight.  Lol  I felt like a real baker  :)  Everything came out pretty much like I wanted it and I didn't have any mishaps.  I built in enough time for that just in case.

It took two trips to get everything into the car and I used a cart to get everything from the car into the classroom.  I learned so much tonight!  So, after making all the 'mistakes' on my first cake I made tonight, I'll be able to do my second cake even better.  I am going to practice this week and make another cake before class again.

Tonight's class was all about keeping constant pressure when using the frosting bag and trying to make fluid motions.  I did a pretty good job I think.

So, here is my first cake.  :)    I managed to get in some pictures before we cut into it.  It was a yellow cake with a vanilla custard filling and buttercream frosting.  All made from scratch.  :)

The lighting was terrible for the picture. lol

So excited for next class!

"Kindle meet Rice". "Rice this is Kindle"

Ok, this starts off as a scary story, but don't worry it has a good ending.  :)

So after a long day I decided to take a nice relaxing bath.  I love reading in the bath and since I buy my books on my Kindle now instead of in paperback now, the kindle goes with me.  I am always very careful with my Kindle to make sure that no water ever gets on it.

I'm sure you can see where this is going.  A girl with an electronic, near water.  And yes, you are right.  I didn't drop it in though!  I was holding my Kindle OUTSIDE the bath and then I slipped and some water splashed onto it.  It only splashed the bottom left corner but I dried it off immediately.  

Soon after, my Kindle started going crazy.  It was turning pages, going back to the home screen, and not listening to the buttons I was pushing.  I was devastated.  I love my Kindle!  I use it everyday!  So, admitting defeat, I laid down in bed and tried to sleep.  In the morning I told my hubby about it and he told me to go stick my Kindle in a bag of rice.  

I looked at him like he was crazy and told him it was just an old wives tale.  He said it actually works.  So, I went into the kitchen, opened up my bag or rice, placed my Kindle down at the bottom, sealed the top, and left it on the counter for the day.  

Later that night I gingerly lifted my Kindle out of the rice bag and wiped off all the rice dust with my kitchen towel. . .  I turned it on, hoping that my hubby was in fact right . . . I stared at the screen and selected my book . . . I turned the page . . . and it worked!  I continued reading for the next few hours without a single mishap!

So, this is a lesson to all of you!  If you some how get water on your electronics put them in a bag of rice!  I don't know if it will work with anything else, but it works with the Kindle!

I couldn't believe it.  Have you ever tried this before?  Has a bag of rice ever saved your electronics?  Am I just out of the loop when it comes to the saving qualities of rice?  

So hopefully this blog post will help to save you a few hundred dollars in the future.  Always keep a bag of rice in the house.  :)

Hiking, Water, and Hissing Cockroaches

I actually got to go outside today!  The weather was under 100 today for the first time in. . . forever.  In the morning the hubby and I did some road side clean up for his work.  It was pretty much cigarette butts all day long, but I just so happened to come across a 10 dollar bill.  LOL  That was fun.  :)

After the clean up we decided to go home and pick up Gorgi and go explore the hiking trails around Wichita Falls.  We packed up the backpack full of water bottles and picked up some lunch on the way with the 10 bucks we found.  This was Gorgi's first hike and she loved it.

See . . . She was already smiling before we even started.  :)

We were really surprised at how green it was here.  Because let me tell you, Wichita Falls does not look like this.  It always looks like a desert wasteland.  So, we were pleasantly surprised to seem some beautiful trees and so much green.  :)

We had to cross a bridge that moved up and down like crazy.  Gorgi seemed to really like it.  I bet if she could jump so would have been jumping with us.  :)

Our new camera has a really cool 'panoramic setting'.  It was really cool to be able to get the bend of the river in one photo.

These are the falls at the end of the first hike.

I played with the shutter speed on my new camera to 'slow and soften' the look of the water.  I think it turned out pretty cool.

I think at some points she felt like jumping in.  

She kept getting 'hog-tied' in her leash! Lol

After the hike there was a nature center with butterflies, plants, and a lot of bugs.  This is me actually holding a hissing cockroach!  And it hissed at me!  I can't believe I actually did it, but at least I got it on camera so I could prove I did it! LOL

These were the prairie dogs the conservatory had.  This guy was really intent on getting out of his cage!

Daryl took some gorgeous photos of the butterflies at the conservatory.  You can see more of them on our facebook page.  :)

We had so much fun today and will definitely be planning a trip back there in the near future.  We'll have to wait for a break in the weather again of course, but this place was a definite must.  So for those of you who plan to come visit, this will be on the agenda.  :)

1st Cake Decorating Class

I had soooo much fun last night!  I went to my first Wilton Cake Decorating Class at Hobby Lobby.  I had signed up a few months ago and have been eagerly awaiting my first day.  :)  I don't know what it is about cake decorating but I've always wanted to try it.  I blame those cake decorating shows . . . like Cake Boss.  Or I'll walk into a bakery and wish that I could make those beautiful birthday and wedding cakes.  And of course it will take me longer than one class to actually make a nice looking cake but I am excited for the journey.  :)

The classes are normally around $45 dollars for one course, but I used a %50 off coupon and only paid like $20.  :)  The classes are two hours long and I have them once a week for four weeks.  I'm already excited to take the later courses once I'm finished with this one.  There are three courses total.

Last night I learned all the basics.  Recipes for the cake and frosting.  How to hold the frosting bag and I made beautiful frosting star decorations on some sugar cookies.  Not much for  the first night, but next week I actually will be bringing home a cake that I decorate from start to finish.  :)   Super excited.

Daryl has been so supportive of my cake decorating classes.  I know he wants me to be able to enjoy what I can out here in this small town, but I also think it's because I'll be able to make him delicious looking cakes.  He'll even see something online and say.. "Oooo, you could make this into a cake!"

And. .  I was going to take pictures of my cookies that I decorated so I could post them on here, but before I could get my camera . . . Daryl ate them!!!  So, after next class, I will take a picture of the cake before he is even allowed to have a slice.   :)

How High Can It Go?

It's amazing how we choose to see ourselves in a different light at times.  Like myself, I most of the time want to see that I am the perfect homemaker who can cook like a dream, clean like I have OCD, and look showered with perfectly styled hair and makeup. .  ha ha ha.. Fat Chance...  These grandeur delusions of a clean and organized house are absolutely ridiculous.  I think I see those things to cover up the feeling that I've been lacking in that area.  I mean seriously. . .  I've been staring at the same load of laundry waiting to be folded for over a week.  And, every time I pass it, I think I'll get to it tomorrow.  I've stopped sorting laundry by color and just use the washer as a hamper and throw any clothing I find on the floor in it.  So, far I've only had one mishap of washing a dark blue jacket that stained a few white shirts blue.  ooops..  There are pans on the stovetop that need washing that I just can't bring myself to do.  And a closet that needs complete reorganizing so bad that I can hardly find anything to wear.

I mean I'm not even working outside the home right now!  To think of all the ladies who have full time jobs, kids, a husband, and still manage to keep their house clean!  I admire all of you ladies!  Sometimes I wish I could just bring my mom up from California to help give me the drive to get things in order! She's great at keeping house and working at the same time.

Before I moved up here to our new place, I envisioned getting everything perfectly in order and everything sparkling clean just like I wanted it.  My perfect vision has been tainted from the horrendous stack of papers that need to get filed that just seem to get higher and higher.

So, today is the day!  I am finally going to clean and organize this house!  Now, I realize it won't be perfect, and I won't be able to get done as much as I want, but I will be realistic this time.  I'll give myself a goal and go for it.  

At times we may feel overwhelmed by all the 'house duties' but I think the biggest thing that helps me (other than trying to get my stamina by blogging about it :-) , is to set aside the time.   Give yourself a 15 minute goal in one particular place.  You'd be amazed at what you can tidy up and clean after 15 minutes.  

And I always remember that I would rather have messes to clean up than no messes, because it reminds me that I have people in my life that add to the enjoyment of everyday activities, even if I have to clean up after them. 

So ladies, pick a place in your house and spend 15 minutes there!  Just 15 minutes!  Set a timer on your phone and keep moving until the timer goes off.  Let's rid an area in the home of clutter and gain that much more peace from seeing a job completed.

Woo!  I'm pumped!

Compassionate Service Ideas HELP!

I have been called to be the Relief Society Compassionate Service Coordinator.  I found out last Sunday but today it was made official.  Since then I have been searching and searching the web for any ideas on what I can do for compassionate service for the ladies at church.  And to my surprise I couldn't really find anything.  And if there's anything to be found on the internet I can usually find it.  I'm big into researching.  I like to know what's going on.  Like a few days ago I was bit really really hard by my cat and spent quite some time on the internet looking at what to do for cat bites, possible complications, what to look for as far as infection, etc. etc. etc.  LOL not such a healthy habit at times.

  

But, anyway back to topic, I've been trying to think of things that I can do to help others to the best of my ability.  I've always been really into service.  I really enjoy it.  Being able to help others gives me such a great feeling of satisfaction and the feeling that I'm able to make a difference in someone's life.  Even if it's only for a moment. 

Part of my job is getting to know the sisters in my ward.  Not a very easy thing because I am extremely shy when it comes to talking to knew people and introducing myself.  Plus, I don't like talking on the phone.  I never know what to say!  I get so nervous that all thoughts just vacate my brain.  Which is completely ironic because I love to talk through writing.  :)  I can email and text to my hearts content and not have a problem at all.  So hopefully others like to communicate in the same manner.  LOL I have sooo many roll over minutes that I lose minutes every month because I don't use them.  And my text list is like four pages long.  It's ridiculous.  :)

So, for the upcoming months my goal is going to be to get to know people and learn their names.  And what better way to learn about others than to involve them in service.  So, any ladies out there, I know your days are hectic and you have a million things to do.  So, if you could have someone do something for you, what would it be? I know we all crave a cleaner house and wish someone could help, or wish someone could take the kids for a few hours during the week, but is there anything else you wish you could have someone help with?  

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!  I'm eager to start implementing my own ideas I have, but I need more!

Flavorlicious Friday

Friday = date night.  Well, it usually does.  But, we've been trying to stay home more often and cook our own meals instead of going out and paying a fortune for fatty food at a restaurant .  So now, Friday = stay at home and cook something new and delicious and hope there are leftovers night.

I didn't want to turn on the stove in the house because it's 112 here in Texas most days and it makes the house unbearably hot.  (Big Stove, Small House)  So, what did I decide to do instead?  I decided to cook outside on the grill in the sun. . .   hmmmm... ok, I know I could have made a nice cold salad inside while enjoying the air conditioning but darn it I wanted to 'cook'!

So I've been looking through recipes lately to try and find a new protein to cook with.  We've cooked with beef and chicken, never fish because hubby doesn't like anything that swims, and the occasional feijoada (which by the way is one of the best Brazilian dishes out there... delicious).  But, I haven't ventured out of my comfort zone and cooked with really anything else.  Until. . . I came across the pork tenderloin.

Did you know that ounce for ounce, pork tenderloin has less fat than a chicken breast? (According to Men's Health)  And According to USDA.gov, a 3 oz. serving or pork tenderloin contains as much as 15 g of protein.  It's also a great source of B vitamins and delivers 36 percent of the recommended daily intake of zinc.  Ummm... why have I never cooked with this before?

So, I contemplated on whether to use a 'dry rub' or a 'sauce' with this pork tenderloin  and decided on a sauce.  I think the flavor comes out better when it can sit in the sauce for like 6 hours just soaking up all the goodness.  But, I didn't want just any store bought barbecue or marinade sauce.  I wanted to make my own. : )

I found a recipe I wanted to try with a few teaks here and there, and the end result was delicious.  This recipe has a nice taste of sweetness to it.  If you like your meat sweet this is amazing.  So, stay home on a coming Friday instead of going out and try this recipe.  If you're crazy like me and want to cook it now in the sweltering summer heat, leaning over a fire go for it!  If not, tuck this recipe away for when it gets colder, but don't forget it.

Ingredients needed:

2 (1b) pork tenderloins
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 chopped onion (you can use dried minced onion if you like or green onion)
2 TBL Olive Oil
1 chopped garlic clove (or pinch of garlic powder)

and the secret ingredient . . .

1 tsp of ground cinnamon


Directions:

*  Place soy sauce, brown sugar, onion, cinnamon, olive oil, and garlic into a large resealable plastic bag.
*  Seal and shake the mix together.
*  Place pork in bag with the marinade, seal, and refrigerate for 6 to 12 hours.

*  Preheat grill for high heat.
*  Lightly oil grate.
*  Place tenderloins on the grill.
*  Sear all four sides of the pork for about 3 - 4 min. each, that way it seals in all the wonderful juices.
*  Turn grill down to medium, close lid and cook for an additional 15 minutes or to desired doneness.
*  Slice pork, and enjoy.  :)

Let me know if you try this and how it turned out.  :)

Test Results

     Went to the doctor yesterday for my blood work results and everything came back fine.  Urine test still had blood in it but the doctor I saw yesterday which wasn't my first doctor said that it wasn't a big deal.  So I'm not sure if it's really not a big deal or he just wanted to be done with the appointment and move on.  So I guess I shouldn't worry about it.

    Now I just have to wait until September 6th for my appointment with the specialist.  So, until then I'll keep working out and trying to eat well.  :)

Puppy Pampering Day

     So today I took Gorgonzola to Petsmart, the Vet, and Petco.  We've had quite a day.  :)  I had to buy her a new collar because she lost the new one I bought her.  She grew out of her original one and lost the last one which had an adorable name tag on it. :(  I think she gave it to the dogs next door.  When I buy her new toys I see them in the neighbors backyard all the time.  LOL I think she throws them over there.  She likes to share. :)
     So, I bought her a new collar and she entertained all the employees at Petsmart and probably ate all the treats they had there.  They just couldn't stop giving them to her.  She loves to be the center of attention.  I tried to get her a salon appointment because she needs to be cleaned bad, but no openings were available.  So I took her to the vet for her last set of puppy shots.  She does great with them and doesn't mind them at all.  According to the vet she weighs 43 pounds now and she's not even four months yet.  She's going to be a big girl.
     After the vet we went to Petco and I dropped her off at the salon.  This was her first time there but she seemed ok with it.  After I dropped her off I worried if she was going to be ok and missed her terribly.  I know, that's sad right?  I've turned into 'one of those' dog people.  It was like I was dropping my child off at kindergarten for the first time.  It was ridiculous.  I think I need to get out of the house more.  :)  I'm not THAT bad though...  The lady at the salon asked if I wanted to have her nails painted!  No painted nails for this Boerboel!

     On another note.  I finally received my referral for an infertility specialist and have my appointment set up.  Unfortunately it's not until September 6th!  A whole month away!  I hoped it would be this week or at least this month.  I feel like it's taking forever.  But, I have an appointment so that's a start.

     And I go to the doctors tomorrow to get results of my blood work and the results of my second urine test so hopefully that came out ok.  I of course don't want anything to be wrong with my blood work but it would also be somewhat of a relief to see a negative result that is the 'cause' of my infertility so I could just know the reason and take a magic pill and be fixed!

     But, until then, I have my wonderful husband and happy little puppy.  :)

Life in Wichita Falls Texas

Well everything went as smoothly as they can go in the move up here from
Arlington Texas. I had packed everything a few months before we actually had to move because I needed to get our house rented before then. So all we had to do was get everything into the rental truck. Weigh it. Get the cat situated. And drive to our new place.

Since then Daryl has continued his on the job training at the Air Traffic Control Tower. He has been doing very well and will continue his training for the next six to eight months. If he passes training and I'm sure he will, we will be here for the next two to four years. Which we are very happy about. :)

We love our new home here at Sheppard AFB. It has a great open floor plan with three bedrooms and a backyard. Lol we weren't even supposed to get three bedrooms because we don't have any kids but no two bedroom homes were available. We have gotten quite used to the extra room and wonder how we are going to deal with a smaller place if we have to move and don't have kids by then. Lol

We have gotten a new puppy, as I'm sure you have seen from the many pictures I have posted on Facebook. She is a South African Boerboel and her name is Gorgonzola or "Gorgi", which is what we usually call her. The training has been coming along and she is finally housebroken and crate trained for night time. We love her and her crazy antics and have enjoyed the added happiness and fun she brings to our little family.





When we first got here I was planning on looking for part time work, but with Daryls crazy schedule we wouldn't see each other very often so we decided it would be best if I stayed at home for now. I will have to go back to work full time if my rental house is vacated for any reason, but I am happy to nit be working until then. I've really enjoyed the time off and I get to go back to school! I received some scholarship money and hope to start this semester if I can get registered in time. If I can't I will definitely start the following semester. After so long I can finally finish my degree in Psychology and am very excited about that.

And as far as the baby stuff goes. No luck yet. Daryl and I have been trying for a family for a number of years now with no luck. I've seen doctors in the past but nothing was ever really done about it. They weren't the best doctors I've seen, that's for sure and the money involved to 'try to get pregnant' is astounding. So I finally made an Appt to see the doctor here on base so I could get a referral to a specialist. Another positive thing about being a military family is that fertility matters are covered %100 with a few exceptions. So the doctor said I definitely qualified for a specialist, so now I just wait another week for my referral to come in the mail. In the mean time while I waited she wanted to go ahead and do some blood work to get the process started. I haven't gotten my hormone results yet to check to see if I have PCOS but they did call me and tell me I had high cholesterol and triglycerides. Ooops. I've been doing really good and going to the gym but I have to eat better. Not working and being at home means I snack a lot and eat more. I jus have to buy better things at the grocery store. They also told me however that I had blood in my urine sample but that I didn't have a UTI so they weren't sure why it was there. So this morning I went in to give another sample and should find out at my appointment this Wednesday what that was all about with the rest of my bloodwork results. So I'm anxious for Wednesday to get here.

I also love my new ward here at church. There are great people there and young families who are dealing with the same sort of issues that all military families go through. We are very blessed that Daryl is able to go to church with me every Sunday even if it's only for the first hour or so.

Well, that's what life has been like up here in Wichita Falls Texas.