52B in 52W: Fifty-Two Bags in Fifty-Two Weeks

I am taking on a decluttering challenge this year. I was inspired by 40 Bags in 40 Days. I knew that with my work schedule and my general tendency towards laziness that 40 bags in 40 days is much too intense for me. I thought about it and I think I can manage a bag or an area per week. Once I fill up a bag it must go directly to my trunk for donation or directly to the trash. I tried to list the areas in a logical fashion but I will not be doing them in order. I will just cross them off as I go.
I left a couple of weeks at the bottom for areas I haven't though about as well as a few weeks to donate junk.
I hope my list inspires you to start you own.

Wish me luck :-)

1. closet: work clothes
2. closet: play clothes
3. closet: shoes
4. closet: top shelf
5. closet: downstairs
6. storage clothes (pantry & garage)
7. bedroom drawers
8. bedroom floors
9. bedroom dresser tops
10.under bed
11. closet: hall
12. closet: linen
13. wrapping paper storage
14. cabinet: bathroom
15. makeup bag / storage
16. jewelry
17. refrigerator
18. refrigerator: top & cabinets
19. freezer
20. spice cabinet
21. utensil drawer
22. kitchen food cabinets
23. under kitchen sink
24. pantry
25. pantry
26. couch downstairs (remove couch and junk on it)
27. junk drawer
28. lower kitchen cabinets
29. white counter: kitchen
30. open shelves: kitchen
31. office: craft closet
32. office: craft closet
33. office: filing cabinets
34. office: desk
35. hutch
36. tv cabinet
37. dining room table
38. dry sink
39. car junk
40. car: deep clean
41. garage
42. garage
43. books in family room
44. books in bedroom & office
45. books all over house
46. laundry room
47. misc.
48. misc.
49. trip to goodwill
50. trip to goodwill
51. trip to goodwill
52. trip to goodwill

So I Ate the Nugget, Move On

Every one in awhile I need some nasty, greasy, fried food.  If I don't eat what I am craving, the craving turns into an obsession and that obsession will catapult into an angry beast. That beast must be fed. I say east the junk, pay the price and move on.....ain't nothing to see here folks.

I Float Like a Rubber Duckie

I have taken the plunge and I joined a local gym. This gym is not your average place to workout. It is a all encompassing center of health. There is a spa, cafe, track, 3 indoor pools, machines galore, racketball courts and much more. I even have a nurse that helps me to manage my diabetes and my workouts.  If you are interested check out www.acac.com.

I discovered what may end up being my favorite class at the gym. Water Yoga? What? Yes we practice yoga in the water, in a warm water pool and it is fantastic. The pool might be 85 degrees, I'm not sure but it feels great. It is definitely not as hot as the hot tub I jump into after class. One of the best parts about taking water classes is that nobody can really see what you are doing. I find this fact to be extremey freeing and I can relax much more and enjoy my workout. I am forever comparing myself to everyone but being in the water prohibits my unhelpful competition and I stretch and splash away the hour.

If you have ener taken a yoga class on land you usually do a relaxation at the end called savasana. The water did not stop this relaxation but enhance it. We each got a noodle to support our neck and shoulders and push off to float on our backs. With my head partially submerged I couldn't hear anything. These few moments floating like a rubber duckie were the most relaxing moments I can remember having in a very long time. I look forward to more of the same at my new gym.

My Un-Diet Journey

Fat, skinny, big, small, what does it really matter. We all come in very different shapes and a variety of sizes. Why is small so desirable? Why is small better to so many people? Many of us are not small. Should we live our lives striving for unrealistic measurements and live hungry and miserable in the process? I say NO.

I have decided to embark on a journey, a journey of the un-diet. I want to enjoy the foods I eat and I want to feel good after a meal. I want to exercise without feeling exhausted and weak for days afterwards. I want to manage my diabetes without tragic swings in my sugar. I want balance. I want peace. I want a lot of things but most of all I want to feel better.

Join me on my journey towards better health. I will be eating when I am hungry. Moving somewhere between a snail's pace and a dog with really short legs. I am going to take it slow and enjoy the process.

Paper Bag Apple Tart

Bill White Farms: Macontish

Tart Filling
7 C apples cut
2T flour
1/2 C sugar
Cinnamon to taste

Crumb Mixture
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C flour
1/2 C butter

1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust (See below for recipe)

Toss together the first four ingredients and place in unbaked pie shell.
Combine crumb mixture and sprinkle over top.
Place pie in a large brown paper bag (grocery bag). Turn edges under
Bake at 375 degrees for 1 1/2 hours, making sure bag does not touch sides of oven.

Pie Crust
3 C flour
1 t salt
1/4 t baking powder
1 1/2 C shortening (don't use butter)
1 egg
5T water
1T vinegar
Sift dry ingredients ina large bowl. Add shortening. Using a pastry blender mix until crumbly.
In a small bowl, beat egg, water, and vinegar together. Add to flour mixture and mix. Dough can be pretty wet. Roll on floured surface.
Makes 2 to 3 (9inch) crusts.

Garlicky Cuke and Tom Salad

I am happy to have found a delicious recipe to use up the cucumbers and tomatoes from my garden. Easy, refreshing, and delicious. 

1 big cucumber chopped

A bunch of little tomatoes

Sauce 

1/2 C mayonnaise

2 cloves minced garlic

1/4 tsp pepper

2 pinches of salt

Combine all sauce ingredients and purée. 

Toss cucumbers and tomatoes with blended sauce. 

Enjoy!!

From This to That

One of my wishes for starting a garden was a simple one. I want to grow the ingredients to make fresh salsa. Today my wish has come true. The satisfaction is almost as delicious as the salsa. I didn't measure or use a recipe. This is pretty much what I did. 

Garden Salsa

A bunch of cherry tomatoes

1/3 jalapeño

Slice of vidalia onion

Small handful of cilantro

A bit of vinegar

Salt and pepper

Small pinch of sugar

Chop up and enjoy. 

The only item not from my garden is the onion. 

Harvesting the Basil

We have been getting so much rain and our garden is reaping the benefits. Above, is my first harvest of basil. Since I didn't have all of the ingredients to make Pesto I decided to purée what I had and freeze it. My recipe calls for 2C basil and 1/2C olive oil. I purée, put in baggies, and freeze. I got 3 batches from my first giant bunch of basil. When I am ready to make pesto I will defrost and mix the remaining ingredients.  This recipe is so very easy and amazingly delicious. We like to serve it with fresh crusty bread and slices of Roma tomatoes. 

Pesto Recipe

2c basil

1/2C olive oil

1/4C Parmesan cheese

1 clove minced garlic

Salt

Mozzarella Stix

If you know me you know that I love cheese. Mozzarella is a favorite, especially when battered and fried. I thought I would try a recipe I found on Pinterest for baking Panko covered mozzarella. 

They recommend you cut moz Stix in half and freeze for 15 min to avoid cheese leakage. 

Next dip in egg, then Panko and put on baking sheet. I baked for about 5 minutes @ 350. 

They are tasty but flattened little blobs of cheese. Maybe i'll freeze longer next time??

The babies are multiplying and growing

I couldn't resist going out and buying another tray of 72 little seed pods. I started lettuce, African Daisys and another type of marigold. The lavender seeds never sprouted so I used those pods to grow more marigolds.

It looks like a miniature forest in my office.
I can hardly wait to plant these little babies.


This is the 4 x 4 raised bed garden where the seedlings will live, grow and hopefully not die!

I transplanted 2 basil and 2 tomato plants into small mason jars. I think they need a little more room to grow before they venture outside. You can see the raised bed in the background filled with dirt.

Maggie is helping watch over the plants and catch a little sun.

My Story in Art

I have just discovered the amazingly creative art journal. Where have I been? How could I have missed all of this awesome creativity? Well it's high time I catch up. I started with The End, the back of my journal. I bought my spiral bound Canson mixed media spiral and off I go..............
I decided to start with the back cover incase it stinks then I won't have to look at it as much. Well, I am happy so far. I used acrylics to begin a beautiful rainbow of colors. I'm sure I will add more but for now I am pleased.
* note to self, completely wash hands before you start to blog. I guess a little paint won't kill my keyboard ;-)

Salt Dough Fossils

1 C salt
2 C flour
1 C water/coffee
Mix all ingredients. Roll out dough and stamp fossils using Dino feet, shells, bark, leaves, seeds, nuts, pretty much whatever you want.
Bake 200 for 2 hours or let dry for a few days.

A Planting We Will Go

Every year I think to myself how nice it would be if I planned ahead and started just a few plants and flowers from seeds. A few years ago I tried but I really wasn't paying attention to the poor little things and they dried up. Was it their fault?  Goodness no. I just keep on trying. (I've been listening to Pete the Cat lately)
My seeds, my seeds, my growing little seeds. I am tryingn to grow lavender, basil (love to make pesto!! and last year I spend almost $4 for a little bushel.), marigolds, and 2 kinds of tomatos.

Here are all of my little pods, 72 to be exact. I gave them a little warm water and they plumped right up. ( I think  my first attemp a few years ago I just threw the seeds on top and squired them a bit.)  With much more care this time I gingerly poked my finger in the middle to make a bigger hole and then in went the seeds. I covered them up a little bit. Put the plastic lid on the little guys and turned on the grow light.
Warmth and lighting was another area that I ignored last time. Our house is pretty chilly and I know the little seeds need the light and warmth. I bought a 60 watt bulb and I point it at the seeds for about 8 hours a day.

Let's see what happens.
Day 3. Good Morning little marigolds.

Please don't die :-)
The marigolds are the first ones to show a little green.

So this is week 5 and everything but the lavender is doing well. Tomatoes, marigolds, and basil are doing fine. I think I will start new flowers soon to replace the lavender.

Smoked Chicken Pasta Salad

1 1/2 lb smoked chicken or 1 small can chicken
2c penne pasta cooked drained cooled
1/2 c thinly sliced red onion
1/2 t pepper
Dash cayenne
1/4 c bacon bits
1/3 c mayonnaise
1/2 t minced garlic
1/2 t salt
1/2 t paprika
1/4 t thyme
1/4 t sage
1/4t dried mustard

In large bowl toss chicken pasta pepper onion and bacon combine set aside.

In a small bowl will mayo and remaining ingredients until smooth. Spoon mayo mixture over salad and toss to coat. Serve immediately

Bento Lunch #2

Bento Lunch #2

Smoked Chicken Pasta Salad

5 carrots with poppyseed dressing

Strawberries

Hummus and pita chips

Bento Lunch #1

So I got this awesome little Bento Box for Christmas and I am hoping to start packing healthier, portion controlled lunches. I will be taking photos of the lunches that I thought were a hit. So in a week or two when I am staring at the refrigerator and can't think of what to make myself for lunch I will have a nice go to blog list.

I hope my hits inspire you too :-)

Bento Lunch #1

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sammie on WW bread

7 carrots

Salad with greens, cranberries, walnuts, crutons, and poppyseed dressing

Make Ahead Sizzlies

I have been wanting to do this for such a long time. Make ahead breakfast sandwiches that I freeze. It was so easy that I am kicking myself for not trying it sooner.
I am figuring my cost was about $1 per sandwich. Which beats the Wawa Sizzlie which is almost $3. I just discovered an Aldi near our house so I got a great deal on bagels and the sausage. Here is what I did.

I like a toasted bagel so I popped them in the toaster oven. Not sure it makes a difference?  While the bagles are browning I threw some scrambled eggs in a large pan and started them. I bought pre-cooked sausage so I pulled out the patties. After the eggs were sufficiently seasoned (garlic salt and pepper) I tossed on come cheddar cheese and cut them up to fit on a bagel.
Lining up my bagles I layered the sausage, and eggs.
Bam done!
Let them cool and I put each one into a plastic baggie and threw them in the freezer.
Pull out and nuke for bout 30 seconds and you have an easy breakfast.
Hey, anyway I can get a few minutes of sleep is worth it!!

enjoy :-)

Beekman Tour 2012

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Homemade Hand Soap

I must admit that I have a new addiction Pinterest . I can't help myself from browsing and browsing all of the beautifully creative things on this site. Yesterday I tried my first DIY from Pinterest and it was a success. I made 1/2 gallon of hand soap from a bar of soap. It was easy, fun and it will save us a lot of money on commercial hand soap.

My ingredients:
1 bar of Dr. Bronners Lemon Soap
1 T of liquid glycerin
50 drops lemon essential oil
1/2 gallon Water

I followed the directions from the farmers nest blog but substituted Dr Bronners for Meyers and cut the recipe in half to test it out. Mine worked wonderfully but I did use a hand mixer the next day and added a little extra water to break up chunks and create a smooth consistency.

Dockside