Attempting the impossible?......

Well, here goes nothing

Brian and I recently watched a documentary on Netflix (gotta love 'em) called "Forks over Knives".  Very eye opening to say the very least.  I had watched a similar type of documentary several months ago that focused on the same type of things but this one was medically based and had tons and tons of data to support the info that was presented.  It spoke to us a great deal simply because of everything we go through with Brasen.....oh, and the fact that one of the doctors was well into his 70's and looked not a day over 45 was very impressive as well (from a woman's stand point:).  Not to mention the Bible tells us that our bodies are God's work.  It is a temple and he wants us to use our bodies (for a long time) to share His love and carry out His plan by spreading the gospel to our neighbors and the nations!!!!  We cannot do that if we are not taking care of ourselves

Brian and I thought we generally ate healthy foods but after watching this video and looking at what we had "thought" was healthy we were floored!!  No where near healthy!!!!  We are on a journey of health in our house and our eating is a huge part of it.  We are now trying what so many say is "impossible".  We are going to attempt to cut out the majority of processed foods and a few other things- but here is the kicker- we are going to try to do it on a MAJOR budget.  EEKS!!!

For instance, brian and the kids usually eat oatmeal everyday.  Because of the time issues in the morning we have eaten (for years) the lower sugar, maple, instant oatmeal.  That should be healthy, right?  SO WRONG!! 

Here are the facts: 1 packet of instant oatmeal (lower sugar, maple flavor)
*The serving size is 1 packet (34 grams)...not even half a cup unless you water it down so much the water causes it to rise to the top.

*130 Calories (which is a lot considering the amount of food you actually get to consume)

* are you ready for this?  17 ingredients!!!!!!! Most of which I couldn't even begin to tell you what they are.

After eating one of these packets- we are still ravished so I add a bananna, some nuts, juice and or coffee...... the calories keep climbling and by the time I have eaten my healthy breakfast I can easily consume nearly 500 calories!!! and by this time it isn't even 7:30 in the morning yet!

So, I set out to make my own oatmeal packets that were quick easy and portable so Brian can take it to work and make it there.  I was surprised that it wasn't hard at all.... and get this- SO MUCH CHEAPER!!  Oh and guess how many ingredients it has in it-5.  That's right- 5 ingredients and I can pronounce ALL OF THEM!!!! 

Here are the facts: 1 packet(aka-plastic baggie or storage container)
*1/2 cup of dry old-fashioned oats
*1 packet of sugar in the raw
*1 /2 tablespoon sliced or slivered almonds
*1/2 tablespoon raisins (unsweetend-just regular raisins)
*a dash of cinnamon
calories for this is right around 300 per packet!!!

that's it!  you add it to 1 cup of water and cook in microwave for 2 minutes and it is incredible.  More vitamins, minerals, protein and calcium than you can get out of the packet.  The initial cost of supplies is approximately 7 dollars for 13 heaping servings.  The approximate cost of the instant  was a little over 2 dollars for 10 watery servings.  With my kids I can divide one packet by two of them and they are good to go on a cold day. 

So, if you are trying to eat healthy on a budget this could be a breakfast for you and your family that can help your pocket book and your belly stay full!!

Mother Hubbard has nothing on this dinner-

Okay- there are nights that I just don't feel like cooking- there, I said it.  Trying to get our family away from fast food as much as possible means I have to be creative sometimes- so I look in the pantry to see what I have handy.  Here is what we had for dinner tonight:


Beans:
         1 small bag of pinto beans
         1 package of taco seasoning
         1 cup salsa
combine all of these ingredients in the crock-pot, stir, cover with water and cook on low for 6-8   hours.  I chose not to include bacon because I am attempting a semi-vegetarian diet right now but you could add chopped up bacon if you choose.

Corn bread muffins:
          1 box of Jiffy muffin mix
Bake this just as the box tells you to.  Brian really likes some heat in his so in 6 of the muffins
I  hide one sliver of jalapeno pepper from a jar.  One jar will last FOREVER!!  I also top each
muffin with 1/2 tsp of shredded cheddar cheese.

Un-Fried potatoes:
          1 cup of sliced red potatoes (use your favorite potatoes)
I call these un-fried potatoes because I simply spray a non-stick skillet with canola spray and it
makes them perfect.  Sprinkle them with your favorite seasoning (ours is salt-free Cavendars)
and cook them on medium heat until they are as crispy as you would like.  Here is my trick with
potatoes- I buy them when they are on sale- I recently ran across 5 lb bags on sale at target for
$1.99.  There is no way our family will eat them fast enough and if I leave them in the pantry
they will start growing "trees".  So, I slice some, dice some and shred some and they freeze
beautifully.  You will be set with potatoes for a very long time!!

Dessert:
         1 box yellow cake mix
         1 can of Apple pie filling
         1/4 cup of water
         1 tbsp brown sugar
         1 tbsp cinnamon
         1/4 can of vanilla frosting (I had this left over in the fridge from cupcakes we made a week ago)
Combine yellow cake mix, apple pie filling and water in bowl, mix well.  Dump into a 9 x 13
pan, sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon and bake at 350 for 40 minutes.  Heat the 
frosting in the microwave until you can easily pour it over the cake.  After you pour it- it is
READY!!!!

I love bread pudding and that is exactly what this cake mixture tastes like.  You could add some nuts and raisins to the baking mixture if you would like to but our kiddos wouldn't go for that so we choose to leave them out.

This is such a yummy way to end a busy saturday- and you have lot's of leftovers for that quick lunch after church on Sunday- right before you lay down to enjoy the game of choice:)

        

Seasons change-

So, I was driving down one of the streets in our neighborhood last week and noticed how quickly some of the trees are changing now.  I thought it was so strange, though, how one tree is turning all of the beautiful colors of fall but the tree next to it is still holding strong to the green leaves it proudly bloomed last spring!

This year has been a crazy year for us- we have had so many "seasons" in the Russell house it is kind of hard to count them all.  So many of my dear friends and family members have had difficult seasons they faced this past year as well.  Our lives are a little like the trees in my neighborhood- seasons come and go even if you don't want them to or don't feel prepared for the change.  Each season we experience touches us in different ways and each person will probably react to the changes differently as well.  Some of us will hold on desperately to the seasons we have gone through- not wanting to let go of pain, sadness or difficulty. Some of us will be thankful for the past and the lessons we have learned but are proud to display the colors we have well worked so hard for and we look forward to the future and the newness that will surely come.  I think about the verses in Ecclesiastes chapter 3 that so many musicians have written songs about over the years-

3:1 Everything on earth has its own time and its own season. 2. There is a time for birth and death, planting and reaping, 3.  For killing and healing, destroying and building. 4.  for crying and laughing, weeping and dancing. 5. for throwing stones and gathering stones.  For embracing and parting. 6. There is a time for finding and losing.  Keeping and giving.  7.  For tearing and sewing, listening and speaking. 8.  There is also a time for love and hate, for war and peace.


I pray you will grow to be thankful for every season you find yourself walking through- even though some are difficult to walk through, they are each a precious blessing.

A dear friend of mine, Kathy Chambers, gave this recipe to me.  I LOVE pumpkin and anything that has pumpkin in it reminds me of the fall- my favorite season by far.  I hope you all enjoy this recipe.  You can't get much easier than this!!!!

So here it is:

1 box of yellow or spice cake mix
1 can of pumpkin

mix together and bake as directed on the back of the cake mix.  You seriously can't get much easier than this.

You can also use this as a dip.  There are no raw ingredients you need to worry about in this recipe so mix together, stick in the fridge and when ready, get out the graham crackers, sprinkle a little cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice over the top of the mixture and enjoy.  It tastes like pumpkin pie without all of the added calories!!

Total Cost for this recipe:

Box Cake Mix: .89 cents at Aldi
Pumpkin Pie filling: 1.00 at target

How much does it make?  I was able to get 15 regular cupcakes and 12 mini cupcakes out of the mixture.

Here we go!!

I have always had a desire to write- a book is just something I do not have time to focus on right now so..... a blog will have to do.

Something else about me?...... I LOVE FOOD!!!  Everything about it!  I love to cook for my family, I love to cook for friends, I love to cook for soon to be friends:~)  Here is my secret though- I don't have a clue what I am doing when it comes to the kitchen.  I don't have a ton of special gadgets, I don't understand the way different spices blend together to make something phenomenal.  I just love to cook....and, not to pat myself on the back (because I am way too tired to do that without help) the things I make usually turn out pretty good.

One more thing about me- and something I am not proud of.....I am absolutely terrible at using coupons!!!  I typically spend more on getting the coupons than I would ever save on the actual food!  By the time I spend money to go to a coupon class, coupon group, printer paper and printer cartridges I have blown the budget for food all together!!!  So, I typically don't shop with coupons unless God provides a divine intervention and one falls in my lap (as the kids are tearing apart the book or newspaper it was in).


I have three children that can't handle me spending too much time in the kitchen so when I make something- it has to be fairly quick and really easy.  I know many of you reading this right now are nodding your head while drinking your coffee.  I want this blog to be for you.  Easy recipes, cheap but good-for-you food and tons of memories!!!

I hope you enjoy this blog!  New recipe coming very soon...........