Quick, Easy, Healthy and Economical Dinners

Quick, easy, healthy and economical are the best buzz words for cooking that I know.  I love quick, easy, healthy, yummy and economical.   I enjoy preparing healthy dinners with lots of vitamins and minerals, which is another step in achieving good health.  And let it be known that most of us like to create meals that don’t break the bank, and are still easy to make and save some dollars.

Here is one our favorite healthy dinners and so easy to make.  My husband does all the grocery shopping and he always checks for sales and seasonal bargains.  

The cost of this dinner:

One half of a chicken:  1.50

Mushrooms:     .50 cents

Red peppers …..25

One large  Onion………..25

Tomatos………..,25

Brussel sprouts  25

Quinoa………….30

Total Cost for the dinner  $3.30  

Add another $1.50 for two more people for the chicken. There are enough veggies for four people. 

We  bought the chicken on sale.  We actually bought 4 packages for future meals. And the rest of the veggies I had in the fridge.

Chicken Recipe

Ingredients;

chicken half

1/2 red pepper chopped in small pieces

1 large onion  chopped in small pieces

2 Roma tomatoes  sliced i half

1 cup of mushrooms sliced

1 cup of sliced brussel sprouts

1 cup of quinoa  (this is enough for two meals for two)

1 1/4 cup of water or chicken broth

1/2 cup of sesame seed oil

1 tablespoon each of curry powder, turmeric, rosemary, basil garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350
2. Blend the oil with all the spices and mix well
3. Dip the chicken in the mixture and remove,  and set in large baking dish
4. Fit the veggies around the chicken breast keep each separate  from the other
5. Pour the rest of the oil mixture over the veggies.
6. You may want to pour extra oil over the veggies
7. Add 1/2 cup of water and pour over the chicken and vegetables
8. Bake for about 1.5 hours.

Lots more  healthy recipes from my book  Feel Better Every Day

Stay Happy as You Age

As we age we find the mirror starts playing tricks on us.  While looking in the mirror we may suddenly have lost the bloom of youth.  Actually it was not so suddenly, but it does seem that way at times.  The reality is that when growing older some things feel easier in life and some things become more challenging.  Our attitudes change in many facets of our lives. We also find stress and anxiety are often part of our daily landscape.

There are other things that happen as we age just alone in our physical being.  We find our energy doesn’t  last quite as long as it did, and we may not be as agile. Our weight has a way of shifting around changing our proportions. One thing for sure that is easy and that is gaining weight.  

So what is the good news?  The best news of all is that we are here living and can look forward to each day if we choose to be happy.

I once read that happiness is a choice.  Okay so you are looking at this page right now and snickering at me.  You have a ton of problems so how can you choose to be happy.  Trust me this is no easy feat but you can find happy moments each day.  We all have something to be grateful for.  My mother in law had a great saying which I have carried around with me.  “Everything in life has its compensations.”  Think about that one.

One thing I do most days is write a gratitude list.  I write down all that I am grateful for and it sticks with me all day.  We all have issues in life and no one is free from them.  Haven’t you seen miserable people who have everything and happy people who have very little?  

We all wake up with those days that we feel the weight of the world on our shoulders for many reasons.  It could be family, money or health—the three biggest detours to happiness.

And lets not get into stress and anxiety as we all have our doses of that each day.

Here are just a few simple ideas to find ways of being happy every day.

1. Plan a treat for yourself 
2. Take a walk and enjoy nature
3. Have a forbidden food to sneak in for the day
4. Watch a favorite TV show or movie
5. Call a friend who is a good listener
6. Unclutter a closet or room.  (This really helps me)
7. Take some time to meditate that will clear your mind
8. Take a bath in scented water
9. Just smile
10. Buy yourself something new and  it doesn’t have to cost much

This growing old and dealing with aging problems is a challenge and we have to work at fighting back with different solutions. I am getting up today and I have decided to be happy.


More ideas for staying happy in my book  Feel Better Every Day on Amazon

Natural Cleaning Ideas to Save Money

Cleaning house is not my favorite thing to do, but having a clean house is my favorite place to be.  I actually threw away all of my aerosol cleaning solutions and decided to make make many of my own cleaning products.  So far I still buy laundry and dishwasher detergent.

There are many recipes out there for liquid soap.  I made up this recipe which I also use for personal soap and even my hair.  I love it as it is easy to make and pure.

What you will need:
1. pump bottle
2. Pure castille soap
3. baking soda
4. Water
5  Rosemary essential oil

Directions:
1. Fill the bottle halfway with castille soap
2. Add 1 tablespoon of baking soda
3. Fill to almost the top with water
4. Add 4 or 5 drops of rosemary essential oil


Quick Cleaning Recope
What  you will need:
1. Large Spray bottle
2. White vinegar
3. Baking soda
4. Hydrogen peroxide
5. 6 or 7 drops of lemon or lavender essential oil

Directions
1. Fill the bottle half full of water
2. Add very slowly 2 tablespoons of baking soda
3. Add 3 drops of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide
4. Add 1/2 cup of white vinegar
5. Shale very very gently

This solution is great for doing bathrooms and kitchens.  I use it on granite with no problems.  I often spray the furniture to deodorize the sofas and chairs.  You will want to check first on the back of a chair or sofa that is upholstered to make sure the fabric is colorfast.

Just Baking Soda:

I use baking soda for so many things.  I keep a cup of the soda in each bathroom, by the washing machine and by the cat box.

For a quick cleaning in my bathrooms I pour a little in the toilet, tub and sink.
I simple take a damp rag and go over everything.  I am sure to give another swipe of a damp rag over all of the surfaces pick up all of the residue from the baking soda.

I add about 1/4 cup to a load of laundry.  Every morning when cleaning the cat box I sprinkle a little in the box and never have cat odors.

I love looking under my sink and seeing very few cleaning solutions.  I am working on a laundry detergent and furniture polish next.  I feel healthier knowing I am not spraying all kinds of toxic and scented cleaning solutions in my house.

I have many more recipes in my book  my book Feel Better Every Day

Being an Empath--Solutions and Ideas

Surviving as an Empath

Perhaps you have discovered that you are an empath, well at least you can use this label to describe how you navigate in life.  There are good things and challenging things about being an empath.  I recently discovered that this label describes me and my actions.  I am going to go through some of the traits and some easy (well maybe not so easy) solutions to  live peacefully with ourselves.

1.  We often know stuff without being told.
 This is not a bad thing but often creates a feeling of unrest inside. It can also cause us to make quick judgement and even decisions.  It is best  to just allow these thoughts to flow through and evaluate everything before plunging in.

2.  As an empath we often feel  other's emotions whether where we are  or even far away.
 This feeling can make it challenging to our spirit when entering a room.  You can tune out this feeling by engaging in conversations and focusing on your environment.  Experiencing the faraway emotions  is different story as we are often not sure if what we are feeling is real.  When my head gets full of other's emotions I try to divert myself or have a quiet meditation for a few minutes.


3 Some empaths have an addictive personality
Hopefully you can create positive activities in your life to avoid any addictions.   Currently I have no addictions but sometimes it is as simple as being addicted to buying art supplies.  I have gone through that particular addiction. It certainly is not dangerous but could get expensive.  Dealing with alcohol, food or spending money addictions  will require some outside support and help.  Sometimes empaths just need a good friend to share feelings with.

4. Drawn to holistic and metaphysical beliefs.  To me this is one of the best traits of an empath, and something I have always geared towards.  Developing healthy protocols for staying healthy is excellent,  and metaphysical gives direction to our mind and soul.

5. Needing solitude.
 I try to find time each day to be alone and do things I love like read or paint.

6. Feelings always show
I am not sure we can do anything about this and I personally don't care.  If you are in a situation where it is not to your best interests to show your feelings, this is something you can work on.

7. Clutter dampens the spirit
We have clutter in certain rooms in the house, and if I can have some spaces that are clutter free I am okay with this.

8. Negativity is over whelming
One of the best ways to avoid negativity is to surround yourself with positive people.  We all have those negative moments but they often flee.

9. Sympathy with underdogs
Pick your underdogs wisely and make sure they are working at helping themselves before you reach out. Many people are excellent at playing this role.


10.Crowds can become unbearable
I personally avoid crowds as much as possible.  We rarely go places where there are lots of people in one place.

There are more traits to deal with for the empath.  If you feel you are one there are excellent sources to check out.

Check out my book: Amazon Feel Better Every Day

Unusual Foods With Huge Health Benefits

Research

I spend a lot of time researching different foods, herbs, spices and supplements. It is easy to get swayed into trying many of these by the many promises they offer in the arena of preventing disease and different conditions. I do not believe in any magic bullet for cures of any kind,  but there are many wonderful foods out there that can often be considered like medicine.  I try to find several sources  in my research that concur on any new idea, thought or product. I am going to share these three products with you that I have found to have many health benefits.

Black Garlic: 

 Most of us are familiar with garlic and use it to spruce up many different dishes. Black garlic is something many have probably not heard about.  The black garlic has more allicin than white garlic which is the most important health ingredient of garlic.  Black garlic is a stronger antioxidant and rich in more amino acids than white garlic. The black garlic is actually regular garlic that has been carefully fermented.  The flavor and scent is less strong, but very flavorful.  The black garlic also comes in supplements if you are not fond of adding garlic to your food. 

Broccoli Sprouts 

These little sprouts  rich in Sulforaphane which is reported to be a substance that can help the body stay free from many diseases. I use these tasty little sprouts in salads and when I make  a healthy sandwich of tuna or chicken on whole grain bread.  I even add them to soups and stews.  I keep a small container in my fridge all the time and try to incorporate it in some dish on a daily basis.

Here is a list of a few of the benefits

1.Lowers cholesterol

2. Helps keep the cardiovascular system healthy

3. Supports brain health

4. Anti inflammatory.

5. Protects muscles

Chia Seeds

Chia seeds is another product I keep stored in my pantry. You can eat these little back seeds raw or cooked for their health benefits. I add these seeds to soups and salads and even meatloaf and stews. These seeds are not for munching as a snack by themselves.  These seeds aid digestion primarily and support healthy skin and can help regulate blood sugar.  The seeds have  a large quantity of manganese, magnesium,  calcium and vitamins A,B,D and E.  Chia seeds are also rich in antioxidants and Omega 3. These seeds provide a simple way to get all of these vitamins and minerals in your diet.

Do you have any special healthy tips of something you enjoy consuming?  I would love to hear of any different ideas.  I have a few more up my sleeve and will save them for another day.

I am an Empath--Are You?

I am an Empath are YOU?

I am not big on giving people labels as they seems to stick with them and often create an unhappy image.  However,  I have found my label —like it or not.  I am an Empath.

What is an empath?

The simple definition of an empath is that if you  are affected by other peoples energies. and are gifted with an intuitive feeling and ability to perceive others.   You are highly sensitive and emotional but that is not all.   We often know the motivation of others and also can take on the emotions of others.  This is not a learned way of being.  In other words you are either an empath or not. We  Empaths are walking around with accumulated karma and emotions and energy from others around us, which is not always easy. 

Situations

We often feel more of what is going on outside than what is happening inside of us.  Where there is disharmony there is an unhappy empath.  Unpleasant situations and confrontations create a feeling of unhappiness and unrest.  Empaths often do well in therapy as talking out problems helps a great deal.  If the problem is not settled the act of sharing feelings help. Healing comes from talking and reasoning. 

Suffering as seen in others is very hard on the empath personality.   Empaths are almost always caring and understanding.  Strangers  often pour out their problems and deepest fears, not just occasionally but often. Empaths can go from happy fun and very humorous to sad and despondent— but there is  always a reason.  They need stimulation but can get this from being alone and delving into their own special fun projects and fantasy.

Here are some traits of the Empath 

If you fall into most of these traits you are a member of the  empath club.

1. Many times empaths know stuff without being told
2. Sometimes crowds and noise becomes unbearable
3. You feel other people’s emotions whether in the same room or miles away
4. You almost  always know when someone is not being honest
5. Sympathetic with the underdog
6. Can have an addictive personality
7. Drawn to holistic therapies and metaphysical beliefs
8. Truth and fairness is of utmost importance in life
9. Empaths must have answers and explanations for things they are curious about
10. Daydreamers and happy being alone and getting into their dreams
11. Free spirits—rules and regulations bog them down
12. Cannot hide feelings and the feelings always show
13. Clutter dampens spirit
14. A strong need for solicitude and quiet 
15. Easily bored in situations and gets distracted and starts to day dream
16. Negativity is overwhelming for Empaths

You can live happily being an Empath, but you have to be aware of your surroundings, choose friends carefully and take care of yourself. 


Amazon: Feel Better Every Day

New and Simple Ideas for Dinner Parties

The New Dinner Party idea

Today it is sometimes a challenge to have friends over for dinner. Either people have certain things they cannot eat or certain things they do not want to eat.  There are so many special diets to include: Paleo, Keto, Vegan and Vegetarian along with  low sodium, low fat, low sugar, no dairy, and the list goes on.

I have come up with a new inventive idea and I call it the cocktail dinner party.  Not only will you please all your guests but your work is cut in half.  To me the most challenging thing about a dinner party is the last minute preparation, setting the table, serving pieces ready and keeping everything hot or cold.  The best thing about the cocktail dinner party is that you can  do just about everything ahead of time or choose to make a few things that require last minute prep.  Now the purpose of this is to please all of your guests with foods for your vegan friends, vegetarian and those on Paleo and kept diets. I find that most foods do well being served either chilled or room temperature.

Setting of the table requires:

1. Small plates and napkins
2. Drink glasses

You will need to have red and white wine, beer, soda for your non drinking friends and a nice touch is flavored water.

Here are some suggested menus for this new dinner party.

1. Cold shrimp with sauce
2. Hummus dip with veggies
3. Baked cheese
4. Cheese cubes with green olives and cherry tomatoes
5. Baked cheesy zucchini strips
6. Sirloin steak cubes with spicy sour cream sauce
7. Stuffed mushrooms with ground beef filling
8. Pineapple cubes for something sweet

Everything here can be made ahead of time and refrigerated. 
Remove everything from the fridge ahead of time except the shrimp and allow to return to room temperature.

Set everything out on a table.

Some advantages to serving food this way.  

1. People are allowed to eat what they want and follow their special diets
2. People are moving around and not getting sleepy at the dinner table
3. People are mingling more
4. People don't feel obligated to eat what they don't want
5. Cleanup is easy 

Amazon: Feel Better Every Day