Friday, May 29, 2015

5 skills to help keep you from continually doing dumb things.

My friend Jimmy and his wife are doing great things. They are making great strides in helping people overcome addictions and other troubles in their life. 


They are offering hope, help and healing for the many struggles we have in life.   Check it out by clicking the links below.  



Jimmy and Shelly website

Jimmy and shelly's webinar

In this webinar you will learn 5 steps to an effective change plan in other words; 5 skills that you can use to keep from doing the same stupid stuff over and over again.


Blessings to you all
Happy Momma

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Dear reader

To my readers here at life less hurried. I am sorry for my absence.



  

I had to stop writing to take time for me and the things of most importance.  Life became a bit more hurried and in crisis. I could not in good conscious write here about living in a way that was not so in my own life.  Work, family, and my health became the main focus, therefore the blog went on the back burner for a while.  

I am proud to say that my life is not in crisis mode anymore, and we are cooking full force. The blog is off the back burner.  I look forward to getting back to blogging and writing more. There are many recipes to enjoy and discoveries to be shared with you. 

Blessings to you all,
Happy Momma




   

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Seek Him this Christmas

It is that time of year again where I go off on a rant about Christmas and how society has lost focus as to what it is all about.  You can read my previous posts by clicking the links below



Avoid the Holiday insanity


Am I a Grinch because I don't participate in Elf on the Shelf


Getting Christ back in Christmas



I have a desire to go off and rant and rave about Santa, snowmen, and elves, and how people tend to focus on these things instead of Jesus, but I have done enough of that in the past.

This year I would simply encourage you to put up a Manger, Crèche, or Nativity.

We have made it a point over the last few years to look for other believers and to keep our eyes out for baby Jesus.  Kids naturally have a keen eye for Santa he is everywhere, but we are changing that at our house. We make it a game to see who can find baby Jesus first.





                         We spend the season seeking HIM.


It is a simple thing that has made a big difference in how we celebrate. It keeps Christ at the forefront of our minds during the season. It changes our thoughts and actions. This year, I didn't even mention it.  It is now natural for the kids to seek him and be watching for him.

May you be inspired to change how you think about Christmas, may you feel the love of Christ this season is my prayer for each of you. 

Happy Momma









P.S.
Here are some of my favorite nativity sets





                                                                                     

                                                 Willow Tree Nativity Set





                                                         

                                                      Melissa & Doug Nativity Set



                                                     
                                         Teak Isle Christmas Outdoor Nativity Set, Yard Nativity Scene





                                                 
                                    Little People Christmas Story Nativity with Lights and Sounds



                                                   
  Nativity Scene (Fits On 8x20 Frame Or Piece Of Wood) wall saying vinyl lettering art   decal quote sticker home decal





                                                          
                 12-Piece Woodland Inspirations Driftwood Christmas Nativity Figure Set





                                                        
                       Fontanini by Roman Classic Holy Family Nativity Set, 3-Piece, 5-Inch Each












Please note: the above links are affiliate links. You can read the full disclosure by clicking on the privacy policy tab at the top of our webpage.

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Give a little lunchbox love

This year as we began packing lunches for school we started a little something we call "lunchbox love".  As the lunch packer I hide a heart somewhere in the kids/ husbands lunch box and they find it.  It is a reminder for them of how much I love them and that I care for them even when I am not there. For our family it also represents the love of Christ.  It helps the family to remember to share God's love with others around them. 




The rules are simple.

1. The lunch packer hides a heart some where in or on the lunchbox

2. As lunch is eaten, be on the lookout for hidden hearts.



It is easy to do.  For us we keep it simple. Most of the time it is  a heart drawn with a marker on something in the lunchbox.  Sometimes it is a paper heart slipped into the lunch, or a heart-shaped sticker stuck to the lunchbox itself.  Treats have been sent in a heart-shaped box left from valentines.  Most often it is super easy to spot (it will reach out and grab you) but, sometimes the lunch packer can be sneaky and hide it well.  It is all part of the surprise and the love. You never know where hearts will show up.



Below I have included links to Amazon where you can buy stickers, a heart shaped paper punch, heart shaped molds and other items that may assist you in sending out lunchbox love.


















Please be advised that the above links are affiliate links. This just means that by clicking on them I am referring you to Amazon. If you purchase from Amazon I  receive a small portion of that sale.  This helps to keep up the work here at life less hurried. You can read the full disclosure by clicking the privacy tab at the top of the page.

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Taking the challenge

October Unprocessed 2014


I have joined the challenge.
Less processed food for me and my family.
We are already on our way, but this gives me the
  needed boost to keep it up.




Join with us! 


click here to join and make a pledge to better health

 

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

why is processed food so bad?




When I cook I use things like.....
eggs, milk, spices and herbs, along with other real food ingredients.

But when the factory cooks for me it is a different story.

If I was to create a recipe for the commercial market these are some of the changes it would go through in order to even think about putting it on the store shelves.

 


Whole food (fruit and vegetable) supplies are a big challenge first because  of spoilage. Real food is quick to spoil. The second thing is that the food can change in price and quality throughout the year.  For example, strawberries are available year round, during peak season they are reasonably priced they are really yummy, but winter strawberries are very expensive lack that "summer strawberry" experience which brings me to the next part...

Taste.  Each batch of vegetables, fruits, and other whole foods tastes slightly different because of variations in the seeds and growing conditions.  Often food companies do not want to use the real food which can be unpredictable in color and flavor. So what do they do, they substitute with colors and flavors that are very predictable in order to achieve the taste and color they desire.  It is important that they create the same product each and every time with the exact same flavor profile. Spices and fresh herbs are often lost in the process because they also change throughout the season, therefore  dried herbs may be used, but more often "natural flavors" is seen on the label instead so that you will get the same taste each and every time.  Natural flavors is a very deceptive term and is widely used to cover up the unpleasant truth about what is really in your food.  I will include some links at the bottom of the page for those of you who want more reading on that subject.

When I cook I often use milk and eggs. In the commercial food business these are foods that require refrigeration and have many rules and regulations for their use as they are considered "potentially hazardous" They are foods that are easily spoiled, plus there are allergy factors involved.  Many large companies are shying away from the use of eggs and milk and are substituting chemicals that perform the same function in recipes. These chemicals are deemed "safe", but are they really? I would suggest that they may be more hazardous to your health than the milk and eggs themselves.

Cost is also a major factor in food production. The chemicals that imitate the flavors and colors of real food are a lot less expensive than the real thing. They are often used to keep the food cost low. Cutting the cost of food is quite a concern to the leaders of  these companies (how else can they pay for the massive machines that are required for the processing of large quantities of food). Which brings me to the next point; the health cost associated with the machines and processing of foods.


As the food products are pumped through these massive machines, often times there are chemical additives that are used for the sole purpose of making the product run through the machine more smoothly. Not to mention the chemicals that end up in our food from the cleaning of the machines. I once had to throw out an entire gallon of milk, because it tasted so bad of cleaning chemicals (this at a time when money was so short that it really hurt to throw it out). There are a lot of health risks associated with these chemicals, not to mention the heat that is  produced by these machines when they run at such high speeds. The heat and chemicals destroy any goodness that is left in the food and we haven't even got to the stabilizers and preservatives used to keep the product "fresh" and shelf stable so that it can travel to the store and then get to our home and be used, not to mention the chemicals and things added during the packaging process. I am amazed at the amount of chemicals that are used in the processing that do not even end up on the label  they are just overlooked by the FDA as "part of processing".

What may start out as a "good recipe" turns into a chemical cocktail by the time it is done with the food manufacturing process, and yet people still wonder if it is really all that bad for them.
YES! processed foods are bad for your overall health. They are full of toxins that will not kill you right away, but repeated exposure to all of these things can kill.


I choose to cook from scratch and eat real foods.   It helps to keep down the toxins so that I am not in a constant state of toxic overload.  My body is thanking me, after years of overload it is finally finding some relief.

I find that the saying FOOD SHOULD COME FROM A PLANT AND NOT BE MADE IN A PLANT very helpful when I am making food choices.



Additional reading:

Wikipedia on flavorings

Beaver butts as natural flavorings

Wikipedia on pink slime

Is processed food safe?






Monday, September 8, 2014

Seasons change

I have not written in a while here at life less hurried. As fall approaches and the seasons change, I to am entering into changes and a new season in my own life. It is a challenging time that does not allow for writing as much as I would like.

I will continue writing as I am able. Please keep checking back. 

Happy Momma