REDEFINE YOUR PRIORITIES, REMAKE YOUR LIFE

Why aren't you doing all the things you've dreamed of?
I often hear friends and relatives saying: "I don't have time for any of my own priorities. I'm too busy doing things for other people." I always try to answer with something useful but not too strong, like: "Plan your days to include some relax time and do something that you really want to do." Whenever this happens, I'd always like to say more. But I usually don't. I feel that I'd be intruding on their comfort zone by asking them to explain the details of their problems, along with the possibility of bothering them even more by being too "preachy".

So, now I'm dedicating this page to add something more to the very general remarks I usually make in these situations. Here, I'm being more specific about what you can do to redefine your priorities and do more of the things that you really want to do. With a lot of resolve and a little effort you can set new priorities better suited to your own needs and stop repeating the same tiring efforts that don't satisfy your inner desires and hopes for the future.

First of all, and here comes the part you probably don't want to hear. You already are living out your priorities - right now. Your priorities are what you do every day of the week. The problem is that they aren't necessarily very useful priorities for you.

Think about what you do in your average day. Like it or not, what you spend time on are your priorities. So, take a look at your average day - the usual during the work week (that includes the "Mom sending the kids to school and Dad off to work week"). We get up, we spend our best hours working, we find ourselves tired at the end of the workday, and when that's over, we only find time enough to prepare for the next day. We've learned the routine and we go through the same motions without thinking about if or when we could do anything else in line with our own personal goals.

So, if all this looks like what's happening to you, then stop letting your life be controlled by a set of overwhelming or boring routines. Consider just what are your own lifestyle priorities and make some necessary adjustments.

Ask yourself: What would you like to be doing if you weren't in the same rut day after day? Would you have more time for yourself? Or spend time doing enjoyable things with friends or family? Or read a good book or reconnect with nature in a long walk through the woods. Or try out new recipes that can be the basis for more wholesome and budget-wise meals? Or get involved in a charitable or faith-based organization? Or whatever occurs to you? Don't let yourself get so caught up in the day-to-day rush that you don't even have time to consider what you want to do with rest of your life. Make a short list of what you really want to do - this week or this month - and then take steps to achieve it.

My story
Let me tell you something about my own story of setting priorities. One of my lifelong dreams was to be the great homemaker that I never had time to be during all my working years and the kind of helpful, loving wife I felt I should be to my husband. Another priority was to write and publish my writing. When I was younger I thought that meant writing books or a column in the newspaper. Well, time passed, I worked at different jobs, raised children, and then realized that probably I would never have the opportuntity to publish books or work for a newspaper. But, with the growth of the Internet, I saw another way to reach one of my life's goals. I could have a blog site or a web site (or both).

But while I was working at what seemed to be an endless string of jobs, I just didn't have the energy to begin writing. So, when I reached what I considered retirement age (early retirement by most standards), I told my husband and other family members: " I'm retiring. I'm no longer going to spend my best hours of the week, toiling for a paycheck." Here was my rationale. My kids are now grown. My health, while generally good, has always been less than it should because of constant work-related stress. My husband was (still is) working. I can now be more helpful and loving to my husband and become the homemaker that I've dreamed about being. We can do O.K. with less money. And I'm going to be a blogger.

That's my story. What's yours?

Get started redefining your priorities.
Where do you want to begin? Your health? Your relationships? Spiritual well being? Work or service to others? Leisure or relaxing activities? Your homelife? Your financial concerns?

What needs immediate attention? What are you doing well now that you can do even better? Is there a secret dream that you’d like to devote more time to? If so, what is it? To get started on this process, you have to free up some time - first, just the time to consider what you want to do. And then, time enough to actually advance in whatever you choose to do.

So, think about a typical week in your life. Make a list of all the activities that make up your usual week. Write down the number of hours you spend in each activity during the week. Then add a qualifier to each one.

1. - LIKE DOING THIS BECAUSE IT'S MY PRIORITY.
2. - LIKE DOING THIS BECAUSE IT'S USEFUL FOR OTHERS.
3. - DISLIKE IT (EVEN IF IT'S SUPPOSEDLY HELPFUL TO ME OR OTHERS)
4. - NOT SURE ABOUT IT ONE WAY OR ANOTHER

Once you've sorted out all your everyday activities, total up the hours in each category and then make a grand total. The fraction of the total hours in each category per week gives you an overview of your situation. Obviously, if the hours in Groups 1 and 2 are low and those in 3 and 4 are high, you've got a real imbalance in your life. But you know you can do better with some effort.

So, now that you have a picture of your current priorities, you can make a plan for the following week. Write down some things that can give you additional hours for doing activities that fit in Groups 1 and 2. Write some things that can help you minimixe the hours for things in Group 3. And don't try to do much about Group 4 right now (because your opinion of these particular items may change groups as you go through the process described here).

Here's a kind of goal-setting guide that shows you how to begin making changes in your life and continue with any changes once you understand the game-plan. Start small. Think of positive things that improve your situation and that can be done in about a half hour. Now on each and every day of the week, schedule at least two priority activities. Above all, choose things that are completely DO-ABLE for you. For example:

MONDAY
Catch-up on emails or phone a family member or good friend
Go for a walk.
TUESDAY
Write an entry in my personal journal.
Try out a new recipe or adapt an old-favorite.
WEDNESDAY
Attend a class (could be yoga, needlework, cooking, art, other hobby, etc.)
Clean out or organize a drawer or closet.
THURSDAY
Go to the library and find an interesting magazine or book.
Go to a thrift store and just browse around for a real bargain.
FRIDAY
Write a blog or comment on one.
Rest quietly and listen to some of my favorite music (without doing anything else and with no interruptions.)
WEEKEND
Some longer activity could go here. (You've got the idea, now fill in the blanks as you like.)

Look at some time-management blogs
If you're unsure about how to free-up time for your priority items, you can find a lot on time management in a search on the Internet. Read some on the general topic and then decide what suggestions could be helpful to you. After one week of effort, review your progress. Were you able to increase the time spent on Groups 1 and 2 and reduce the number of hours you spent on Group 3? If you were, that's great. Make a plan for the second week that continues adding time for things that are satisfying to you.

If you find you weren't successful, think about the reasons why this happened? Can some of this be changed in the second week of the new plan? Here are some areas that can lead to failure in time management.

- Being overwhelmed by some evolving crisis - usually involved with family and friends.
- Lack of concentration and focus, causing you to spend too much time doing even simple things.
- Your own emotional blocks - guilt, anger and frustration that cause procrastination.
- Illness

In any of these situations has happened, your first step is to recognize the problem. Some situations will disappear on their own. Others will need real work. Browse the Internet for ways to overcome some of your failures or brainstorm for yourself ways that you can minimize those problems that continue to keep you from doing what you set out to do.

Continue with your time-management plan
As you see, being successful in reaching personal goals is often a matter of paying attention to your daily routine and figuring out what's the best use of your time. Now, let's go over the method.

1. Use the weekly list of daily activities as your basic time budgeting guide.
2. Each week, re-evaluate your success and come up with a new game-plan. Try to
increase - even if it's only by a half hour - what you do in priority areas.
3. After one month, hopefully you've made some headway. Then it's time to fry even
bigger fish. Make a longer term list - a monthly, seasonal or yearly list. Include those personal goals that are on your secret list of dreams. What do you want to accomplish over the next month or year? What do you need to to do, to research, to find or buy?

If you use this method and are faithful to your plan, you are likely to have a successful "remake" of your life over a period of months. Not only will you have a more fulfilling life, but those around you will benefit, too, in the long-run. People who know their inner needs not only discover ways to reach their own goals, they also are very capable of helping others. So, stick with your plan. Your new life is (and always has been) within your reach.

Related posts
PHASES OF THE MOON - MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOU MAY THINK.

VISION BOARDS AND THE NEW MOON CYCLE.
BENEFIT FROM NEW MOON FASTING
STAY IN THE NOW
KEEP AN INSPIRATIONAL JOURNAL
FIND A PLACE FOR YOUR BIBLE

 



 

MAKE HEALTHIER EATING YOUR NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION

In the past few decades, our kitchens have become bigger and fancier, and we’ve stuffed them with more kinds of small appliances than can be easily accommodated, and much less used with any frequency. At the same time, we have lost our connection with food and with our kitchens. Too often what we've used in the kitchen, at the end of the day, is just the refrigerator, coffee pot, and microwave. Clearly we aren’t doing real cooking. That’s because we eat too many meals at restaurants or buy most of our meals pre-processed. Just “heat and serve” has become our eating motto. Let's change those habits and include healthy eating as one of our New Year's resolutions.

Amazingly enough, as a country, many of us watch more hours of cooking on TV than we spend in our kitchens making real food. We talk about “getting dinner”. In that case, the “getting” means putting together a few highly processed or ready to eat foods on the table and calling it a meal. When we do this too many times, families quickly lose their sensibility to taste, become fat, and over time, lose their energy and resistance to illness. Instead of eating to get full, we need to eat to be healthy. That calls for a new eating motto – something like: “Cook and enjoy.” If we would spend at least a full hour (or more) a day actually making meals and another full hour (or more) enjoying them, our families would get a lot of healthful benefits.

Remember our poor eating habits didn’t happen overnight. They were years in the making, just like other bad habits such as smoking or heavy drinking. We’ve got to overcome the faulty subconscious message that has been misleading us for our entire lives. The same mistaken message that we have said to ourselves thousands of times (which is both created and reinforced by television and magazine advertising) is: "Get out of the kitchen fast!" It may be actually be a lack of time or just the notion that kitchen time is some sort of slavery that drives us to eat at restaurants and serve up pre-processed foods. We may even believe that these eating habits have made our lives easier. The reality is different – the illnesses that follow bad eating habits will take up a lot of time and money. They’ll end up doing us a lot more harm than any good that could ever have been achieved by fewer cooking hours.

You probably don’t doubt that better meals can improve your health, but may still not know how to create a whole new dietary lifestyle. Don’t worry so much about it. You don’t have to give up your past eating habits all at once. If change is going to be hard for you, plan for 3 or 4 homecooked meals this week as a beginning. It’s best to take a slow, steady approach to overhauling your cooking and eating practices. Try making small substitutions of healthy foods for others that you know are unhealthy. By improving our eating habits, we can be more energetic, fight off so many seasonal respiratory infections, lose a few pounds, and save some money in the process. What follows is a list of rules that will help you prepare and enjoy healthy, wholesome meals.

Rules for healthy eating
- Eat three meals a day (don’t skip breaksfast)
- Limit your snacking
- Cook (don’t heat up) meals at home
- Eat a variety of foods
- Avoid highly processed foods
- Eat some raw food at every meal, if possible
- Eat lower on the food chain (By eating more vegetables, nuts, beans and grains and less meat and dairy, you can, at the same time, reduce your carbon footprint.)
- Don’t include more than three or four types of food in a meal (including bread).
- Take your time eating meals – chew thoroughly, enjoy flavors, swallow well, and breathe between bites.

Green salads are part of a healthy diet
Among the healthier ways to eat, is to include green salads in at least one meal a day. One of my favorite types of salads is a combination of greens, fruit, cheese, and nuts. That mixture makes for a great side dish and, served more generously, can even be a light, whole meal.

Some salad combinations work better than others. As to fruits, the best tastes for salads are pears, apples, cranberries, and Mandarin oranges. For cheeses, almost any kind - I like cheddar, Roquefort, Gruyere, feta, and ricotta. For greens, the best nutritional buys are dark leafy greens, like spinach, endive, and kale. You can get more crunch by adding celery, sprouts, bamboo shoots, and purple cabbage. All kinds of nuts go well with salads. The main stays are walnuts, pecans, almonds and pine nuts, but if economy is a big factor, peanuts and roasted soy beans can be substituted for more expensive nuts in almost any recipe.

Here’s a healthy salad recipe that’s tasty and easy to make.

Spinach Greens with Fruit, Cheese, and Nuts
Ingredients
4 cups finely chopped spinach (about 6 ounces, washed in two rinses of water)
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped toasted almonds
1 sweet apple, cored and diced in 1/4-inch pieces
2 ounces medium cheddar cheese, diced in 1/4-inch pieces
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon mustard powder
Salt to taste
1 garlic clove, puréed
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
One-half cup of toasted bread cubes
Instructions
Combine the spinach, almonds, apple and cheese in a large bowl.
Whisk together the lemon juice, salt, mustard powder, garlic and olive oil. Add to the salad, and toss well. Then sprinkle the bread cubes on top. Serves four to six.

FIVE COMMON FOODS THAT CAN CURE YOUR AILMENTS.

Some home remedies are already in your kitchen
Some simple foods, found in most kitchens, are not only culinary geniuses but also can be home remedies for your ailments. Maybe we don’t know exactly how these foods cure, but all of them, especially when combined in the diet, tend to detoxify the body and strengthen the immune system. That’s a great start toward health. So, why not give them a trial to see if they help your complaints? Since they’re common foods, none of them are likely to hurt you. They’re also items that won’t stretch your grocery budget. And, with their frequent dietary use, you may be pleasantly surprised to find that you need a lot fewer doctor visits.

This is the short list of nothing less than five miracle-foods: APPLE CIDER VINEGAR - GARLIC – HONEY – CINNAMON - ROSEMARY

VINEGAR (Especially, apple cider vinegar)
Vinegar in any of its forms is a tasty and healthy ingredient in cooking. Throughout the ages, vinegar has been indispensable in the kitchen as a food flavoring, preservative, and medicine. In more recent times, scientists have evaluated how vinegar burns fat, reduces cholesterol and increases vitality. As an effective detox for the blood stream, vinegar is linked with healthy kidneys, bladder, and liver.

While wine and balsamic vinegars are great tasting, apple cider vinegar ia a lot cheaper than some of the more “fashionable” vinegars. And apples are among the most health-giving fruits available as they contain a many valuable minerals such as potassium and magnesium. All of the goodness in apples is found in apple cider vinegar. Cider vinegar helps the blood to flow more freely instead of becoming thick and pasty, a condition that leads to high blood pressure.

GARLIC
Garlic is a pungent bulb that has been used as a medicine as far back as 5000 years in ancient Sumeria. Called Russian penicillin, garlic can help treat respiratory infections and prevent heart disease and cancer. Somewhat like onions, garlic is a wonder food rich in powerful sulphur compounds, chromium, beta-carotene, vitamins B and C, potassium and selenium. Garlic in the diet helps fight infection and reduces cholesterol levels and cancer risk. It also stabilizes blood pressure.

COMBINED GARLIC AND VINEGAR
Combining garlic and vinegar in the diet isn't a new idea. Both ingredients have been in use together for centuries as both food additives and medicines. According to traditional sources equal parts garlic and vinegar is good for health maintenance and medical use. Taking 2 to 4 teaspoons of the mixture after each meal helps to fight off many different diseases. Also, using both garlic and vinegar for cooking and as a salad dressing is a good idea. But, cooking any of these miraculous foods causes the loss of some health benefits.

HONEY
Honey is a natural sweetener, prepared by the bees from the nectars of various plants. It’s a great source of energy, containing about 69% glucose and fructose and providing 64 calories per tablespoon. It has occupied a outstanding role in traditional medicine throughout human history.

Honey contains a variety of vitamins and minerals. It’s good for your skin and has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. Traditionally, it has been used as a treatment for wounds, burns and ulcers. Honey contains antioxidants that improve body immunity, including respiratory health. It can also help prevent cancer and control cholesterol levels. In a series of experiments involving patients with type-two diabetes, honey proved itself to be the healthiest sweetener.

CINNAMON
Cinnamon is a tasty spice, obtained from the inner bark of several trees native to South East Asia. It’s medicinal value has been known from antiquity. This spice has antimicrobial action, can settle an upset stomach, and is even a remedy for diabetes. Apparently, cinnamon assists the body in the use of insulin. People with type-two diabetes achieved significantly lower blood sugar by taking just 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon every day. Cinnamon can also help to maintain a healthy weight. Since it stabilizes blood sugar, it helps control the glucose spikes that trigger the hunger cravings.

ROSEMARY
This flavorsome herb is also known as the Pilgrims Flower. It’s a member of the mint family, and it's associated with increased blood supply to the brain and with long life. It contains a particular antioxidant that works well with your immune system to block allergy triggers. If you find you’re sneezing from allergies or your joints are stiff, rosemary in your cooking can be a good tonic.

Drinking rosemary tea is a remedy for headaches and migraine. Just adding a couple of teaspoons of rosemary to a pint of boiled water. Remove from the heat and steep for 10 minutes. Then strain and drink.

TRY WHIPPING UP A COMBINATION OF ALL FIVE MIRACLES.
If you’re like me, it’s not always easy to do complicated cooking preparations – above and beyond what we have to do each day to put nutritious food on the table. And, then, there’s the problem to remember to take medicinal concoctions at intervals during the day. So I’ll share with you a recipe that goes well with our everyday menus and is easy to make. It’s a salad dressing that combines all five of these miracle foods. Use it one or more times a day on green salads and vegetables.

Five-Food Miracle Vinaigrette Dressing
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (organic is best)
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tsps. honey (raw honey is better)
3 cloves crushed garlic
1/2 tsp. crushed rosemary (fresh rosemary is better)
1/2 tsp. powdered cinnamon
Season to taste with salt and pepper.

The oil, vinegar, and honey can be combined with a blender or whisk. The result you want is to combine the oil, honey, and vinegar to get an emulsion (this is where the vinegar and honey separate and become suspended in the oil). After emulsion, whisk or stir in the seasonings. This dressing can be used safely for up to a week if it’s stored in a glass container with a tight lid and kept in the refrigerator.

Related posts
SERVE CABBAGE SOUP OFTEN - WE'LL ALL BE BETTER OFF FOR IT
CAN YOU EAT A HEALTHIER, MORE ECO-FRIENDLY DIET -- AND DO IT ON A SNAP BUDGET?
COOKING OIL CONFLICTS.
A KITCHEN SALAD BAR CAN WORK FOR YOU
APPLE CIDER VINEGAR IS A KITCHEN STAPLE
BE A “USE-IT-ALL-UP” FOOD BUYER AND CONSUMER

COOKING OIL CONFLICTS.

One food that appears in almost all kitchens is cooking oil. It’s indispensable for frying, baking, and seasoning our foods. While most of us wouldn’t think of preparing meals without a measure of oil for food enhancement, there’s still a lot of discussion about the role of oil in our diet. It also happens to be one of the more expensive items on our grocery list because it comes to us as a processed food. So, after reading a bit about the subject, I thought that it would be good to review what’s known about the health and culinary qualities of cooking oils.

And here’s some general info on cooking oils.
All common cooking oils such as canola, corn, olive, pumpkin seed, peanut, and soy are made from plants and are usually liquid at room temperature. Coconut oil and palm oil are semi-solid are room temperature. They can be sold as just one specific type of oil or as a blend. The price of different vegetable oils varies a lot. Despite some distinctions, they are all considered to be healthy oils in that they are high in non-saturated fats and contain antioxidants.

Now there are, of course, animal fats that are used in cooking. Those are the greases and butter that we can buy already processed or can process at home. All the animal fats are heavily saturated. Nutrition experts agree that it’s important to limit saturated fat but not eliminate it because it’s required for a healthy body and brain. So, while animal fats are considered (by many) to be great for making tasty food – like bacon grease in beans or greens or chicken broth in soups and stews, we should be careful about the quantities that we eat.

But there are some rather obvious conflicts on the topic of cooking oils. While most of us use them, we know that they contribute heavily to our already calorie-loaded diets – with each teasoon of fat representing about 125 calories. And, we’ve heard that that fried foods also may contain disease-causing substances that form in oils when they reach high temperatures. What’s more, some studies have shown that frequent exposure to frying fumes is a cause of respiratory diseases in both restaurant and home cooks. So, all of this is worrisome. Is it necessary to avoid most fried foods and prefer low-fat diets? Or can we safely continue our current use of cooking oil?

What are some safety rules for cooking oils?Vegetable oils are high in non-saturated fats, have antioxidants, and are generally considered to be healthy when used properly. (The FDA says that the total of fats should not make up more than 30% of the diet.) The bulk of the fats we use in the kitchen should come from plants, especially if we find out, or suspect, that we have high cholesterol levels. All vegetable oils are fragile and need to be stored in airtight containers away from contact with direct light. Also, to be sure, you should smell or taste oils before you use them. Throw out any stale or rancid oil. (You can burn it as fuel for candles - best burned in the outdoors because they smoke a lot.)

Used fried oil, if not burned, can be a part of other preparations. Do not use any kind of leftover oil for frying again as it becomes carcinogenic. Never add fried oil to fresh oil. Avoid heating oils to temperatures beyond their smoking point. The table below shows some of the plant oils that safely withstand higher temperatures (adapted from a chart in Wikipedia):

Safe - higher smoke point (from 350F to 450F)
Olive Oil
Canola Oil
Peanut Oil
Safflower Oil
Palm Oil (suspect by some for having a higher proportion of saturated fats.)

Caution - Moderate smoke point (only up to 350F)
Sesame Oil
Butter
Corn Oil
Soybean oil
Coconut Oil

Most vegetable oils are best if they are used in the space of one or two months after opening. Their antioxidant activity decreases month by month. So, buy smaller containers that you’ll use up in a few weeks. Home-processed animal fats - like ghee (clarified butter) and leftover bacon grease - should be refrigerated and used within a week. Unlike other dietary fats, trans fats are industrial-produced monsters that are known risks to health, especially coronary heart disease. Stay far away from them and the same goes for hydrogenated and partially-hydrogenated fats (and the products that contain them).

Margarine in all its forms, along with real butter and animal grease, are not recommended for frying. Animal fats should only be heated to boiling temperature as part of soups and stews. It is also best to reduce your intake of high-fat, calorie-dense foods like butter (80% fat) and mayonnaise (75-80% fat).

So, should we be saving money on oils?
Choice of oils depends on both taste and price. Some cooks like the distinctive fruity, spicy or nutty oils such as those associated with olive, sesame, and coconut. But these flavors usually are found in the higher cost oils. Canola oil is inexpensive and at the same time is neutral in flavor and a good source of antioxidants. It has about the same cost as soy oil – a nickel to a dime a tablespoon. Extra-virgin olive oils and most others with special flavors can cost up to a dollar a tablespoon. That’s a lot of difference, so your budget may be the defining factor at the grocery aisle.

But, consider this. All oils tend to lose their special flavor after exposure to high temperatures. Even expert judges may be fooled about the qualities of high-priced oils when they are heated. So, the general rule is to use the expensive oil you like for drizzling on salads but pick a cheaper one for frying. You can also do a combo – less expensive oil for frying and then add a tiny bit of the high priced stuff – like extra virgin olive oil - just before serving.

GREAT, HASSLE-FREE THANKSGIVING DINNER

Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday to enjoy with family and friends and an opportunity to remember our many blessings. Year-to-year, you probably look forward to a joyful, traditional Thanksgiving Day. But when it’s your turn to host (or hostess) the dinner, it may seem overwhelming. Like so many of our big challenges in life, the worst part is the worrying. So, if you are having guests for Thanksgiving dinner, stop being stressed out and get yourself organized. With careful planning and an eye to simplicity and economy, you can forget about extra stress and look forward to a happy Thanksgiving.

Here are some tips from Grandma - based on experience and old-fashioned common sense - that can help you plan a hassle-free and delicious Thanksgiving Day dinner.

DECIDE ON A GAME PLAN AND STICK TO IT
The main stress-reducing step to hosting a successful Thanksgiving dinner is to plan well in advance. Determine how many guests can be accommodated comfortably in the space you have. Decide on a number. If your dining space is limited, tell your guests that they’ll need to advise you if they would like to bring an extra person to the meal. Don’t be afraid to say no to additional guests, if it’s going to be a problem.

Next decide how much time you need to buy the food and prepare the meal. If it’s going to be a worry-free Thanksgiving dinner, my suggestion is that all the buying be done in a single trip a few days before the event. You can always pick up anything that you missed the day before the meal. On Thanksgiving Day, plan for a maximum work schedule of three hours of preparations, including table setting. Make sure that all the food, drink, and ice is set out on the table or on a buffet before any one sits down, and don’t offer to get up to go and get anything else. If there are any extra trips to the kitchen, they should be done by volunteers or delegates.

LIMIT THE SIDE DISHES
There are so many possibilities for delicious holiday food. But if you want to be hassle-free, plan to serve just a few dishes. Once you've chosen your dishes, write down your menu. Tell your closest friends and family members about your menu choices. Don’t allow yourself to be influenced. Tell anyone who criticizes you that you’re intentionally paring down from the traditional coma-inducing meal, and make all guests aware that their contributions are welcome. Wine and other desserts are the best things for other people to bring.

AND WHAT ABOUT THE TURKEY?
Don’t make the mistake most of us have made - more than once - and buy a turkey that’s way too big! You don’t need a pound or more of turkey for each person at the meal. You’ll have several different side dishes and dessert. Tell your guests beforehand that you plan to have a tasty, moderate-size meal. And that you’re doing this as a tribute to rational thinking – that you hope to serve a special dinner that doesn't make everyone fall into a near, post-meal coma from overindulgence. Your goal is to have plenty for all, but still be capable of taking pleasure in dessert and conversation after the meal.

The week before Thanksgiving, grocery stores typically reduce the price of turkeys. Wait to get the best deal on your bird, but don’t wait until the last day because you might end up turkey-less on the big day.

GET READY
Check your cookbooks or go online and print out the recipes you want to use. Read through the recipes carefully, pencil in hand for making notes. Make a list of everything you’ll need when you go shopping.

Detail your cooking plan by starting from when you want to serve dinner and work backward to figure out a rough schedule. Make a note for when you’ll need to start preparing each dish. Do as much of the preparation as you can the day before Thanksgiving. Some examples of what can be done beforehand are: chopping the vegetables, measuring the dry ingredients and putting them in bowls with lids, and setting out dishes, pots and pans.

PLAN TO HAVE AN EASY AMBIANCE
Plan to use your best tablecloth and dinner napkins. Create a simple centerpiece. Some fresh flowers or a pretty glass bowl filled with seasonal fruit (or vegetables) makes a lovely statement about fall bounty. Add a couple of lit candles and your table will be festive. Beyond that, you only need to use a few understated decorations. For example you can twist wire ribbon or raffia - in a fall color - around the dinner napkins and tie a cinnamon stick (or some small Thanksgiving motif) on top.

Part of your decoration can be a highly visible, self-service coffee and dessert bar. You can set it up on a side table or buffet, or use one section of the kitchen counter. Include a ready to start-up coffee pot, cups, dessert plates, along with your one beautiful dessert and after-dinner mints. You’ll be ever so happy you took the time to do this. It makes the room like charming and is extremely practical - the guests can help themselves after the dinner. You’ll just receive the compliments - and not have to run around taking care of additional serving tasks.

BE HUMBLE AND SHOW GRATITUDE
Remember why you’ve decided to do all this. The purpose of the day is to enjoy your family and friends. Don't worry if everything isn’t perfect. Be ready to interact with your guests when they come. Sit down, have a drink – alcohol or not, as you want– and take a breath. Yes, you were the all-too-busy chef just a few minutes before, but as soon as the guests turn up, your goal is to present yourself as a gracious host or hostess. When everyone is around the table, be ready to accept help when offered and don’t feel shy about enlisting assistance when you need it.

Don't forget what the Thanksgiving holiday is supposed to mean. Make this an opportunity to show the spirit of thankfulness. As you sit down to the holiday dinner, have someone prepared to offer a short prayer of thanks and ask for volunteers to say a few words about what they are most grateful for.

A THANKSGIVING MENU FOR EIGHT
Here’s an example of a traditional Thanksgiving menu for eight people that you can cook and serve in about three hours. And it won’t break the family piggybank! (Personally, I plan to use this menu for the holiday season.)

- Turkey breasts with bone (6 lbs.), split open and oven-baked, basted with butter and lemon-garlic zest. Served with pan gravy.
- Mashed sweet potatoes (3 lbs.), oven-baked briefly with butter, brown sugar and pecans on top
- Large serving dish filled with fresh cut veggies, deviled eggs, whole-wheat crackers, and a tasty dip. (It can be put out somewhere before the meal for anyone who can’t wait to eat something and later taken to the table.)
- Steamed green beans (2 lbs.) with mushrooms and green onions
- Big dish of cranberry sauce - make your own or buy readymade
- Corn bread muffins, 2 per person - make your own or buy at the bakery
- Large, deep-dish apple pie - make your own or buy at the bakery
- Cheddar cheese slices - to eat with the apple pie
- Dish of after-dinner mints

- Pitchers of ice water
- Wine and (or) iced tea with the meal
- Coffee and (or) hot cider with dessert

FENG SHUI CAN HELP ENERGIZE YOUR FRONT DOOR AND ENTRYWAY

Winter is not too far away now, and already the days are getting cooler and shorter. If you’re like most of us, the fall season causes your mood to droop a little. And, our energy-levels can slide even further during the cold winter months when there's not much sun and the green trees, flowers, and grass are long gone. Those are the times we seek the shelter and comfort in our own homes. And, an upbeat home will help keep our spirits up during the long winter.

Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese art of chi or universal energy flow. Feng Shui involves the placing of objects and the use of space to enhance our lives, and we can use these principles to energize our homes in the months to come. The theme of this post is how to use Feng Shui rules at the entrance of the house to increase the positive energy throughout the home.

According to Feng Shui, the main door and the front entryway are very important parts of the home because that’s where most of the positive universal energy, or chi, comes in. That’s also the space that you, your family and friends see first when entering the house. Your choice of decoration at the front door and entryway show something about you and contribute to your attitude toward life. If you feel bad energy entering your home, it will have a negative effect on your psychology.

While other parts of the house may be used by just a few people, all members of the family and visitors alike enter through the main door. So, you’ll want the entrance to your home to be inviting and filled with good energy. Now your main entry to the house may be a side door, through a garage, or a hallway door, if you live in a building. If that’s your main entryway then the energy flow principles that apply to a front door are the same for your entrance. So, start now to analyze what Feng Shui solutions can help you energize the entryway to your home.

Main door
In the outdoors, chi moves mostly uninterrupted in gentle curves – straight lines are human artifacts and often are unfortunate when it comes to energy flow. The outdoor chi flows relatively freely, like water or vapor, coming in through the main door, drifting through the house, and finally exits out of windows and any other doors.

According to Feng Shui, the main door should be a solid construction. It is the “mouth” of the house, taking in nourishing chi. Glass panels in the door and windows that are too close to the door on either side can pull the good energy back out of the house right after it enters. A green potted plant on the windowsill or a hanging decoration on the window help keep the energy from escaping.

You want the “fresh” energy that comes through your door to wander around the rooms unhurriedly before exiting. That is why you don't want to see an exiting door from your entryway. The worst possible position for the back door is in a straight line (shot-gun style) from the front door. Potted plants or folding screens that “bend” the energy to one side can help this problem - that way not all the flow will be in one door and out the other. Crystals, wind chimes, screens, curtains, and water displays can also be used to the stop rapid energy loss through an exit door.

Foyer or front hallway
The entrance area, traditionally called the foyer, is the transition from the outside to the inside personal space. It’s important that energy that comes into the front of your home isn't obstructed. Your entryway should be open and easy to move around in, allowing you free access to the rest of the home. The main door should open into an uncluttered, clean front room or hallway. A wall that’s too close to the front door blocks the flow of energy into the home.

Lighting is important in the entry, so use an overhead lamp that’s attractive and gives off sufficient light. Make sure that the walls are painted a light or bright color in the front area. The first things you see when you enter your home should be friendly to the eye and bring peace and joy to your heart. You'll feel much more at ease and comforted when the entryway is an attractive part of the home.

A hanging mirror opposite the door is not such a good idea because it will “reflect” the energy back out of the house. Instead, let the eye see an attractive painting or wall hanging, preferably a landscape, facing the doorway. Mirrors can be used on the walls to the side of the main door, where they reflect the light and make the entrance feel larger.

Clutter stops energy from flowing. Remove anything that is blocking the flow of chi in your entryway. Keep your entrance hall clean and organized by including only a few essentials, such as an umbrella stand, a console table, or a coat rack. The entrance hall should never be a storage room. Don't leave items, such as shoes, clothing or any other unnecessary items lying around. Decorate the area with just a few beautiful objects, plants or flowers. Crystals, devotional figures, good luck pieces, and ceramic eggs are also commonly used in Feng Shui as a means of amplifying the energy in the home.

There is a particular problem when the front door opens directly into a living room or kitchen. While we usually can’t redesign the layout of our homes, Feng Shui remedies can still be of help. If possible, try to differentiate the entryway by hanging curtains or placing a divider or a tall plant near the front door, thereby creating a visual stopping point between the door and the rest of the living space. The addition of rug that’s in proportion to the entrance can help create the feeling of a separate entry space. The most appropriate rugs for the entryway have simple designs - suggesting stable, grounding energy that creates positive energy for the transition from outdoor to indoor space.

IT’S JAM-MAKING TIME – GRANDMA’S PRESCRIPTION FOR A HAPPY SWEET-TOOTH ALL WINTER LONG.

It’s the end of September and, if you’re like me, your thoughts are beginning to run to how this winter’s going to be. Some say that the coming months will be among the coldest we’ve seen in many years. So, the next thing that comes to mind is: "How are we going to stay WARM AND HAPPY?" Well, speaking for myself, last year was cold also. Staying warm in my small house was pretty well taken care of what with my propane gas stove, a small electric heater that I carried around with me, and several layers of winter clothing (including thermal underwear). Staying happy through the cold months is a somewhat different matter - it will take some welcome company - human and canine - and a lot of good food. And, part of winter eating happiness, as well as year-round, includes sweets.

And, that’s what this post is about – making sweets, and in this case, preparing homemade jam. Jam-making has been a valued art throughout the centuries, if not millennia. Like a lot of domestic arts, it takes a day or two to prepare and cook, and that means we have to dig into our time schedule. But, like the wise saying goes: “Time is all we have.” As a mostly-retired person, I do have the luxury of some time, and I like to spend a bit of it preparing (and eating, of course) delicious food.

Now, there are a lot of sweet possibilities for jellies, jam, and liquored-up fruit out there. The fall fruit is in season (meaning it's good quality and as cheap as it's going to get). We’ve got a bunch of choices - from our own trees, if we’re so lucky, or at the farmer’s market for the rest of us. We have apples, apricots, peaches, pears, and plums, to name a few. And, as the heaps of fresh fruit appear (and, all too soon dwindle), the urge is strong to eat a lot now and to preserve some more for future pleasure.

So, there’s no problem for fruit selection. Next comes the motivation. If you’re like me, you probably don’t like to do really big cooking deals alone. Large-scale cooking seems to be a lot easier with a family member or friend. This year, I’m lucky to have a good friend and neighbor who likes to cook all kinds of good things and also, - and here’s the great advantage, is an even better cook than I am. So, next Tuesday, we have a pact to overcome our early fall laziness and make plum jam.

Now, we aren’t too ambitious in this undertaking, and neither of us is so inclined or has enough storage space to throw ourselves into heavy-duty canning. So, I suppose, and at least according to our plan, the quantity of jam we’re talking about is about 16 pints – 8 for her and 8 for me. But, even that’s more jam than my husband and I are likely to eat in a few months, so I’ll probably give some jam away as gifts.

Oh, and why plums? Mostly, because they’re as cheap as any fruit right now, and my husband and I absolutely adore plum jam. Also, not all of it has to go on bread or biscuits. I’m thinking now of other delights - and already beginning to taste - vanilla custard with plum jam on top, plum and apple tarts, and plum jam upside-down cake. The possibilities for sweet plum jam combinations are almost endless.
(If my neighbor and I don't wear ourselves out with jam making, which could happen, we're hoping to make plum jam empanadas - individual rich, oven-baked pies - later next week.)

A simple plum jam recipe

Here’s an easy recipe for plum jam that’s made without adding any pectin. All you need are plums, sugar, water, and some lemon juice.

4 lbs. plums
4 lbs. sugar
1 pint of water
2 Tbs. lemon juice

Wash your plums, remove any bits of stalk, and drain them a bit. Put them into a large heavy saucepan along with the water. Heat the water, fruit, sugar, and lemon juice on moderate heat until the sugar dissolves. Be sure to stir constantly so that the mixture doesn’t burn.

Next, take the pan off the heat and remove the stones with a fork or small tongs. Then continue boiling the plums – don’t overcook them. Skim off the scum with a large spoon and check for the right moment for jam setting. Do this by letting a spoon full of boiling jam dribble onto a cold plate. Let it cool down for a couple of minutes, and then, test it. It’s ready when it looks something like thick honey and shows a tiny impression when you push it around with your fingertip.
(This recipe makes about 6 pints of jam.)

Bottling and storing your jam
When the jam is ready, turn off the heat, and let it cool just a bit. Then use a ladle to transfer the hot liquid from the pot to warm, pre-sterilized jars. To avoid jar cracking, place a teaspoon in the jar while you fill it up. Do not fill the jars up to the top – just to about 80% of the capacity. That way, if by some chance the jars freeze, you won’t lose the jam (and jars) due to breakage.

Cover the filled jars with parchment paper rings and screw sterilized jar lids on tightly. Let the jars sit until completely cool, and then place them in a cold place for storage. Sugar acts as a preservative, but it’s not foolproof. So, if you have any doubts about the temperature of your storage shelves, put your jam in the refrigerator where it should last several months.

TWO-WHEEL OUT YOUR DOOR AND ENJOY THE RIDE.

There are a lot of advantages of biking on a regular basis. And, just about anyone at any age, youth or adult, can get a lot of personal benefits from biking. Nearly half of daily trips by American adults cover less than 3 miles. That’s an easy distance for even moderately healthy people to pedal, so the bike should be able to replace many car trips, depending, of course, on the weather and the traffic conditions.

To mention just a few of the benefits, bike riding is cheap, friendly for the environment, and fun. While cars get into terrible jams, bikes stay mobile and can be ridden to get around the worst traffic. What’s more, bicycling benefits society as well as individuals. The more people who bike the fewer cars are on the road, and that helps reduce traffic congestion and carbon-based emissions and saves our local governments money for road repair.

Your two-wheeler also offers you some real health perks. A long-term study of over 30,000 people in Amsterdam showed that regular bike commuters had greater health benefits (40% less risk of death) than those who regularly did other types of exercise, including high intensity sports. And that makes sense, because commuting is a moderate, every day activity while sports and going to the gym are usually done only a few days a week.

Those are just some of the reasons that bicycles are the most used form of transportation in the world (that’s about 1.4 billion bicycles to only about 400 million cars). Other eco-friendly pluses from two-wheeling include the possibility of using the bike for transport businesses (package delivery and bike-taxis), bicycle-powered water pumps, and even generating electricity.

Most of all, the automobile is expensive, and cycling is the only real alternative to cars for short commutes and errand trips. According to one expert study, the average American car-owner can expect to pay a lifetime total of about $300,000 for cars and related car expenses. But that estimate is based on past experience and doesn’t take into consideration rising fuel prices and higher costs for future vehicles. And, just think, bikes mean no circling the block looking for parking spaces and no parking tickets or towing fines. Best of all, you can expect to pay hundreds of dollars (not several hundred thousand dollars) for your bike costs over a lifetime!

Get wheeling!
So, if you’ve got a bike in your garage or basement or have been thinking about buying one, this is the right moment.

If your bike’s been sitting somewhere a long time, get it out and examine its condition. Does it obviously need maintenance? If it does, don’t take it out until you sure it’s running safely and comfortably. If you see something that needs fixing, visit your local bike shop. Get it right at first before you start wheeling around and continue giving your bike periodic tune-ups as needed. It will last a lot longer that way and be a safer means of transport. Hey, with a little study and effort, you can learn to do most of the maintenance yourself.

If you don’t have a bicycle, most new ones cost in the range of $100 to $200. But you’ll save a lot of money and be even eco-friendlier if you buy a used bike. So, stop by your local bicycle shop, cruise thrift shops and yard sales, or take a look at the classifieds in the newspaper. There are also some online sources for used bikes such as "Craigslist" and "Freecycle".

What more do you need to get started?
While biking sounds great for many reasons, still many people are hesitant to start out. And, the main reason most people aren’t riding bikes right now isn't lack of interest or low levels of physical fitness - it’s fear. Most of us are afraid of taking a spill or getting hit by a car.

So, how can we feel (and be more) safe while two-wheeling? First, always use the bike helmet and be properly dressed (closed, tie-up shoes, arms and legs covered), so that a minor bike accident stays minor – without any major consequences. Then, study city maps to find out where there are bike paths and protected lanes – and avail yourself of them whenever possible! Also, you probably have the option of biking on the sidewalk. That may be your safest bet in high traffic areas. And, if you’re wheeling on the sidewalk, you should cross streets by getting off your bike and walking with the light (or cautiously waiting at the corner) the same as pedestrians are supposed to do. Don’t forget to use bike lights and reflectors if you’re going to be biking at night or at dusk.

Also, petition your city and county government for more bike paths and protected lanes and show enthusiasm by supporting community bike rallies. Experience in cities around the world show that two-wheeling tends to be safer when more people are biking. The accident rate actually goes down because more car drivers become bike-aware and start driving better around bicyclists.

SWAPS HELP SHRINK YOUR WASTEFUL HABITS - WITH OTHER BENEFITS, TOO.

This post is about swaps as a means of reusing/sharing/recycling whatever you no longer need (or can’t use up, anyway). Swaps have a lot of benefits - like reducing your carbon-footprint, saving money, getting nice surprises, and, maybe, getting to know some nice people in the process.

You know the old saying: “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Well, swaps are one way to make that wisdom operational. Hey, it worked pretty well for us in kindergarten and grade school. But, then, a lot of us spent a lifetime buying stuff and not sharing much at all. If that’s you, in the extreme case, then: "Does your house look like another episode of “Hoarders”? Or - for others of you who’ve exercised only a bit more prudence: "Do you hesitate before going to your basement, attic, or garage because you know you’ll find a lot of things you hoped to forget about - permanently?" If you answered:"Yes," to either of these questions, then you definitely need to unclutter your home - by whatever means necessary!

Some of us have tried yard sales as our best bet at clutter-busting. But, too often, putting out our stuff in a yard sale doesn’t work very well. Time and again, we find that we can’t sell - or even give away - most of the things we hoped would leave the yard (and our lives, forever). If that’s your case, then, you should probably consider the benefits of swaps.

If you judge by the number of Internet blogs out there, smart-thinking people have come up with all kinds of swaps, and some have been quite successful. The motivation is to reduce the number of commodities that are bought by using up what's already out there. Swaps give eco-minded people a chance to give their things another useful life. Reducing consumption is a great way to cut down on the use of raw materials and the energy used to manufacture them. It also helps lighten the load on our already bulging landfills.

For those who want to borrow, trade, or share items, swapping can be an enjoyable way of meeting and working with people. Swaps help you while helping others. You get rid of things you don’t need and receive stuff you need, all for free. It’s a great opportunity to clean up your bookshelves, drawers, closets, and storage areas by carrying or shipping off your junk to somebody who needs (or thinks they need) what you don’t want anymore.

Some swaps are neighborhood or citywide so that people can meet face-to-face in local events. If you’ve got a little time and energy, try forming a local group. No formal commerce has to be involved. It can be done person-to-person. This is a lot easier when the group is limited to a small geographical area, thus reducing driving time and making exchanges more efficient. If this possibility interests you, start by researching existing swaps in your area or help organize new swap events at churches, neighborhoods, and at larger planned gatherings.

If there’s not a suitable local swap near you – and you don’t want to organize one - browse the Internet for swap websites that offer some of the same advantages of face-to-face networks.

Can swapping really be free? Yes and no. It depends on the organization, so check it out carefully. Most swap organizations don’t charge you for listing or trading items. While there aren’t usually any upfront costs, you’ll still have to deal with transportation or shipping. For long-distance trades, you can use the Post Office's one-size shipping rate. Or, if you want, you can explore a trade with a swap partner near you (or with someone you hope to see soon at a larger planned event). That way, you can forget about postage and hand over the item in person.

Like the idea? Then, let’s get swapping!

What things can be swapped?
Here are a few examples, but I’m sure you can come up with dozens of suggestions for sharing resources and keeping things out of some landfill.

- Nice clothes that don’t any longer fit or won’t be worn again (like gently used baby clothes, wedding gowns, prom dresses, nice suits and tuxes).
- Almost any kind of furniture, bric-a-brac, and electronics.
- Handmade items. Most of us like to touch and display handmade items in our homes. They're especially nice when they are gifts from people we love and respect. They serve, sometimes for generations, as a happy reminder of the creative and generous person who made them.
- Home-exchanges. Your home doesn't have to be an extreme green or Better Homes and Gardens model. Everyone needs a vacation now and then, and the possibility of a two-way or three-way home exchange may work out fine.
- “Bed and Breakfast” opportunities. The homes that are offered don’t have to look like those in magazines. Cheerful, friendly people can make their visitors feel right at home and do a lot of sharing of ideas. Somebody’s extra room, floor, or back yard may be all that’s required by another family as a great vacation retreat. The important point would be the honest statement of what can and can’t be offered.
- Transportation. Driving somewhere and would like to have company and share expenses? Need someone who can share a regular commute? That would be another good way that swapping saves resources.
- Home-grown farm products. If you're growing zucchini or have a fruit tree that produces a lot of fruit, you know that it's nearly impossible to give away all of what is produced. Don’t let any of that
good food go to waste. Offer it in baskets or cases to others who could make good use of it.

SERVE CABBAGE SOUP OFTEN - WE'LL ALL BE BETTER OFF FOR IT

For most of us, the most important facts related to cooking are taste and cost. The two recipes that I recommend to you here are tastey soups based on some rather humble vegetables and legumes, and they cost only about $1.25 per person. Family finances aside, these meals should be appealing to you because they have a very low carbon footprint. This means that the resources needed to grow the foods in these recipes represent fewer carbon emissions – relative to those used in producing foods for other common menus based heavily on meat or cheese.

Most of the foods used in these recipes - cabbage, beans, lentils, onions, carrots, potatoes, and leafy green herbs - are readily available in local farmers markets, and their purchase helps to strengthen local agriculture and business. As an added bonus these soups contain some of the healthiest foods you can find. The more expensive foods (that ones that you don't see emphasized here): beef, cheese, pork, and poultry make up a separate group. And foods in this second group are higher in fat and their production involves a lot more carbon emission.

The first group of foods makes for meals that are simple, essential and life-supporting, while meals based heavily on the second group are questionable from the perspective of health and have damaging effects on our planet. A thrifty, eco-friendly kitchen plans for mostly vegetarian menus based on the first group of foods and uses only a little or none of the second group - the exception being their use in small quantities for flavor accents. So, there's wisdom in there. Look for ways to use the first group of foods and downplay the others - this helps sustain your family and community and saves the Earth’s precious resources.

The soups that I describe to you today are built around cabbage. Yes, everyone knows that big heads of cabbage are cheap. But some people have apparently forgotten about the merits of cabbage. All they remember about cabbage is that it can be used to make coleslaw or steamed or boiled, which tends to be a little boring. So, many people don’t regularly use cabbage in family meals.

This page emphasizes the highly positive aspects of cabbage in the diet, and there are many. Cabbage is cheap, eco-friendly, healthy, and available locally almost the entire year. Our ancestors will well-aware of the benefits of eating cabbage. You've probably heard about the custom of eating cabbage (cooked with a ham bone) on New Year's Day. It's done for good luck, and it has been good luck - over and over for thousands of years. Cabbage is easy to grow, available for almost the entire year, and, in hard times, has kept enumerable people from starvation.

Here, I joyfully share two of my favorite recipes for hearty and frugal cabbage soup. Try them at home. I bet your family will be well-satisfied (there’s a lot of fiber in there) and pleased with the taste. Then make some changes to these soups according to your own criteria. If you’re totally happy with your recipes, reproduce them on cards or nice notepaper and have them ready to share with family and friends. Let everyone around you know that: “Cabbage soup may (again) save the world.”

Here are the recipes:

Recipe #1 Grandmas’Favorite Cabbage and Bean Soup (preparation in an hour or so)
1 large onion
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 of a large cabbage, shredded
2 stalks celery
2 carrots
2 tbl olive oil or coconut oil
(Optional) Can add a little fried bacon or pork to further enhance the flavor of the soup.)
3/4 tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper to taste
1 tsp powdered cumin
Can of tomato sauce (may be a small or a large can, according to your love of tomatoes)
2 bay leaves
3 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tbl of fresh parsley or cilantro
1 cup of lentils or navy beans (Beans need to be presoaked or par-boiled, so this needs to be done beforehand. If you’re in a big hurry, just open and throw in a can of beans.)

- Dice the onions, garlic, celery and carrots.
- Cover the bottom of a soup pot with oil and stir-fry the garlic, onions, celery and carrots. Add the salt, pepper, and cumin (along with the pork, if you choose to add it).
- When the veggies are tender, add the beans or lentils and bay leaves, pour in a quart of water and bring it all to a boil. Let the beans or lentils boil until they are almost fully cooked. (You need less water if you're using canned beans.)
- Add sliced cabbage, tomato sauce, vinegar, sugar to the pot, and cook the soup another 20 minutes.
- Serve in soup bowls with chopped parsley or cilantro. With good whole-grain bread or a bowl of rice, you have a hearty meal for 4- 6 people.

Recipe #2: Creamed Cabbage and Potato Soup (preparation in less than an hour)
1 medium onion
2 cloves of crushed
3 lbs. cabbage, shredded
- Optional: 1 diced carrot or small squash
1 large diced potato
3/4 quart of vegetable or chicken stock
1 TPS apple cider vinegar
2 TBS olive oil or butter
1 cup or more of soymilk, evaporated milk or half cream, according to your taste

- Sauté the onion, cabbage, and garlic in olive oil in a large pot until all the veggies are translucent but don't allow them to brown.
- Add the stock, potato and any other veggies to the pot and simmer for 25 minutes.
- Blend the contents and return them to the pot.
- Add the milk or cream to thin it to the consistency you like.
(The cooked, unblended or pressed veggies can also be the basis for another sort of creamed cabbage soup, but, of course, the texture and taste will be different.)
- Reheat the soup for 10 minutes.
- Serve the soup in bowls topped off with any combination of: sour cream, parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, cilantro, toasted peanuts, sliced almonds, pine nuts or soy nuts. With a bowl of rice or whole-grain bread, you’ll have a satisfying meal. Serves 4 – 6 people.

Related posts
A KITCHEN SALAD BAR CAN WORK FOR YOU

FOCUS ON MIRACLE FOODS.
FIVE COMMON FOODS ITEMS THAT CAN CURE YOUR AILMENTS
BE A “USE-IT-ALL-UP” FOOD BUYER AND CONSUMER
USING APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

PLANNING A KITCHEN GARDEN
REDUCE YOUR MEAT CONSUMPTION
PREPARING VEGETARIAN MEALS
WHAT'S IN YOUR PANTRY?
USING APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

MAKE HEALTHIER EATING YOUR NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION

CLOSETS NEEDING DECLUTTERING? TRY WARDROBING.

Does wardrobing make sense for you?
Wardrobing is a system of acquiring clothes in a few basic colors - usually 2 or 3 - so that all pieces work well together in a well-defined and consistent style. The purpose of wardrobing is to create multiple outfits from a rather limited number of items. To achieve successful wardrobing, you'll have to pull out all of the items in your clothes closet and drawers, go through an editing process, and only put back pieces in your main colors. When you master the art of wardrobing, you will have enough outfits to feel comfortable and look good in any season of the year. As an extra bonus, your clothes drawers and closets will be almost miraculously decluttered.

My experience with wardrobing
I'll describe my experience with wardrobing to illustrate how you can achieve these goals. (Since I live in an area that doesn’t have a lot of cold weather, wardrobe editing has been somewhat easier for me than it may be for you.)

I picked 3 basic colors: black (true black and charcoal gray), blue (blue jean blue and medium-blue) and white. Most of my clothes are in solid colors, and the few that I have in prints include one or more basic colors. By careful editing, I've seen that every piece coordinates well with all the others. A few beige and pastel tops and shirts still appear in my wardrobe because I’ve yet to find their replacement in black, blue or white.

So, here is my wardrobe strategy. My wardrobe is made up of 40 garments. When I get something new, I simply pass on a similar item to family, friends or a charitable organization. With those 40 items, I now have a useful wardrobe for myself as a homemaker in my retirement years. I feel fairly sure that my wardrobe is correctly edited. Whether or not it represents a minimum number of pieces on a relative scale, either from a worldwide or an ecological viewpoint, is another question. (And, I don't want to think about that - at least not right now). Anyway, the 40 items don't yet constitute a capsule-wardrobe and are probably still more than I need. So, I may decide to further edited my clothes sometime in the future.

You may be interested in how I acquired this wardrobe, so I'll tell you a bit more about it. I bought many of my clothes in thrift shops. Other pieces came from discount stores. The more expensive clothes (black suit, little black dress, and leather jackets) were purchased on sale in department stores 10 or more years ago. Since these better clothes have classic tailoring, they have never gone out of style - at least not by my standards. At any rate, I stopped going to department stores about that time because I thought - still think - that we have to fight mindless consumerism in all the ways we can. Besides, for the past five years, I haven't even had enough money for downtown or mall department stores.

Other benefits
And there are some added benefits of having an edited wardrobe. There’s no need for clothes clutter anywhere since everything fits in: 2 big drawers, ½ of a not-so-big, regular bedroom closet, and one suitcase (for lesser-used pieces). Accessories, like scarves, caps, gloves, sleep wear, bathing suit, yoga clothes, etc., all fit in another big drawer. And, as to upkeep economy, only the 2 suits, the dress pants, the jackets, and the little black dress need dry-cleaning. Thankfully, the better clothes are only worn on rare occasions and seldom need cleaning. Absolutely everything else in my wardrobe goes in the regular home wash.

Shoes
My shoes are also edited. I have 6 pairs of black shoes: medium-heel for dress; nice flats; tennis shoes; cold-weather, low-heel slip-ons; low-heel sandals for warm weather; and rubber sandals for around the house and in the gym shower room.

The whole wardrobe package
Pairs of slacks - 4
- Nice black, lined; black, all-season; blue, all-season; blue jeans
Capri-length pants - 2
- Black; blue-patterned
Blue jean shorts - 1
Just under the knee-length skirts - 2
- Black, all season
- Blue denim
Sleeveless tops - 6
- 3 white
- 3 solid-colored (pastel shades)
Sleeved tops - 6
- 3 white
- 2 blue
- Nice patterned blouse in black and beige
Sleeved, blue denim shirts - 3
- Simple, long-sleeved
- Simple, ¾ sleeved
- Short-sleeved, embroidered
Nice suits (4 pieces)
- Blue suit, jacket and skirt
- Black suit, jacket and skirt (black lined slacks also go with the jacket)
Black leather jackets - 2
- Nice mid-thigh-length, winter
- Sporty hip-length
Dresses - 2
- Nice sleeveless, little black dress
- 3/4 sleeve black dress, all season
Nice light-weight, multicolored jacket 1
Cardigans - 2
- Black
- Beige
Pullovers for cold weather - 3
- Fleecy pink (also makes great sleepwear in the winter)
- Gray knitted
- Gray sweat shirt
Light-weight, black sports pants and jacket (2 pieces)
Total 40 pieces

Have you done something like this?
If any of you, my readers, have had similar, or somewhat different, challenges with wardrobe editing, I would like to hear about your successes (or failures).

EMBRACE A SIMPLE HOME

If you want to live simply, don't try to fit your home life into a pre-molded floor plan - even the one that you now have as determined by your outside walls. Instead try to make sense of the way you want to live. Think outside the blueprint and search your heart to create the simple home that you’ve always longed to enjoy. A simplified home will allow you to focus on what's important and relax more when you need to with the added bonus of cleaning less and consuming less - what with lowered energy use and need for fewer material things. (And, as I keep harping in this blog, the best way to help our planet is by consuming less.)

You can begin your adventure of embracing a simple home by making a mission statement - a few lines of text that cover what's true about your home life and minus all that's false. You probably should pass on this statement of purpose to other members of your household to see if there's some basic agreement regarding a common mission. Reflect on how you truly live or hope to live in the not-so-distant future. Don't let other people's purposes or rules guide you choices. Don't try to plan for what your life may look like in 10 or more years.

Look for ideas to create a master plan for simplifying your home - in magazines, catalogues, on the Internet, and in showcases. Most people simplify by downsizing - choosing to live in a smaller space - and using that opportunity to find greater organization. You can easily make this choice the next time you move. But even if you plan to stay in the same house for several more years - or forever - there are ways to down-size and organize - by cleaning out and closing off rooms that serve little purpose for your current lifestyle. Remember a simple home includes only the basics and doesn't need part-time use rooms - like guest rooms and even a separate dining room or living room often is not necessary. Many times, outdoor spaces can be a good substitute for additional or little used rooms. (Putting the hype for McMansions aside, we often can fully live our home lives in one, two or three rooms and be just as well off or better when it comes to some really important things in our lives - like time for family, creature comfort, and spiritual growth.)

To create your simple home, assess your real needs and eliminate any excess. When you have a plan for the spaces you need for your lifestyle, then organize and declutter all areas. Minimize furnishings and decorative pieces in your plan. Use your walls wisely for extra vertical storage. Color can be part of a simple scheme - make use of it on walls, floors, curtains, cushions, etc.

As a place to start, here are the functions and basic spaces that just about all of us need:
- Calm place for individual relaxing, sleeping, meditation and prayer (bedrooms);
- Area for eating, preparing meals, and socializing (kitchen or great-room);
- Area for work at home, including office, laundry, gardening, and crafts (may be separate spaces or just  work areas in the already mentioned rooms).