Beyond January: New Years resolutions part 2

If you missed it, below is the link to part 1
Beyond January, New years resolutions part 1

So we are past the middle of January nearing February. So many new years resolutions have come and gone. It began with a desire to change. How do you move beyond the desire to actually making the changes? Maybe you have started the change. How do you keep the momentum going?

For me I have to say that I hate goal setting. Sitting down and saying to myself "OK what do I want to accomplish, and what do I have to do daily to get there" is way over the top for me. I am a fly by the seat of my pants kind of gal. Planning and then following through are not my strong points. Those people that plan out everything in life make me crazy. I see it is important, I am trying, but really do I need to write it all down?  I have been to classes, I have listened to seminars, I have read the books. They all seem the same. Write it down, make a plan, break the big goal into daily chunks, put these on your daily to do list. Follow the list etc.  So I did it this year. I made goals and wrote it out into a daily list.

Now I have it all on my"official to do list".  Yuck!!  I feel trapped and bogged down by this infernal list. I know I need to do it, and now I have written it down. I feel pressure to do it. Such drudgery, I can't live like this. I've done it for  over a week, but it sucks!  So, back to the mental list of things I should do. There is not a  physical list weighing me down staring me in the face. I know what I need to do each day (it is all there on my mental list)  Somehow there is always something that sounds much better than those things on the list. There are many things that get pushed down the bottom of the pile, someday I will get to it but not today. (any of this sound familiar yet).

I have found that the physical list of things to do everyday does nothing for me only make me very angry and depressed. Some people love to have that  list and love to check things off, they thrive on it. Yeah for you if you have found this works for you. This is not me. I am a bit more like my son. I thrive on a challenge. This year I am done with the "to do list" way of goal setting and planning. I am trying a new approach. The challenge! I have a list of things that I am challenging myself to accomplish. Somehow if I challenge myself to get it done and take it off that stupid to do list and I get excited about actually accomplishing it.

For the next month
#1 The challenge is to do 30 minutes of Yoga every day.
#2  The challenge is also to do a 30 minute workout daily.
#3 As for my eating, choose a fruit or vegetable for my snack.
#4 It is a challenge to find 10 minutes for me to read everyday but I am doing it.
#5 develop better relationships by being a better friend. One project a month (for example I called a friend and invited her over for lunch last week) 


Give me a challenge. Tell me that I can't accomplish it. I will prove you wrong.
This attitude has prevailed in my life. When I have accomplished things, it has been because others have told me that I couldn't do it. I turned it around this year and challenged myself. It has empowered me. It has created new energy and a fire that I think will carry my goals forward into the future.  A change of attitude made all the difference this year.

Make your own mustard

Making your own mustard is very easy. I made some as Christmas gifts. My sister in law loved it. She hails from Russia and has been very disappointed with American mustard which "lack mustard flavor". My mustard packed a punch, but was very tasty.  Those who ate it really enjoyed it.

To make mustard you need only a few ingredients

1/2 cup mustard powder
6 Tablespoons mustard seeds ( the darker seeds tend to have more kick)
3 tablespoons of vinegar (experiment with different flavors here) I used balsamic and cider vinegar in mine
1/2 cup warm water
1-2 teaspoons salt
any additional spices you want (garlic, onion, tarragon, sugar, just to name a few)
Turmeric  may be added for a more pleasing color.


                                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                         © Oleg_ | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

1. cover the mustard seeds with water and soak them until they can be easily crushed (1-2 hours)

2. process the ingredients together in a mortar and pestle or a food processor until desired grind is achieved  I processed mine fairly fine. I did leave some texture to the seeds I like it a bit grainy, yet I do not like whole seeds.

3. Place in a clean container and refrigerate for about 2 weeks

4. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary

5. Enjoy on your favorite sandwich or other food.


There are three great advantages to making your own mustard.
1. It is economical. It costs just a few pennies to make.
2. You can control what goes into it. Commercially prepared mustard can have too many added things in it. (preservatives, and natural flavors etc).
3. It can be very yummy for your taste buds.

Go ahead try it, you will never go back to plain old mustard again.


For some interesting reading about natural flavors, I have included some links below

the truth about natural flavors
natural flavors/ not so natural



shared at beyond the peel keep it real thursdays

Bulgar a how to guide

Bulgar what is it?  For many areas of the world bulgar is a staple of life. Bulgar is nothing more than wheat berries that have been cleaned, par-cooked, dried/toasted, and cracked into smaller pieces. For many it is confused with cracked  wheat which is just what it's name implies; wheat that has been cracked open. The two; although looking alike, cannot be interchanged. (Cracked wheat takes an awful lot of cooking to become edible.)

"Bulgur has been called by many names. The Roman word for it was cerealis; Israelites called it dagan. Other Middle Easterners called it arisah, which is how it was referred to in the Bible. Biblical scholars translate arisah as "the first of the coarse meal" and, according to Biblical archeologists, was a porridge or gruel prepared from parboiled and sun-dried wheat. The word bulgur itself has various iterations: burghul, burghoul, balgour and boulgur, to name just a few."  (taken from sunnylandmills.com)

© Shahinkia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

What do you do with Bulgar?
Salads, soups, pilafs, stuffing, breakfast cereal, and as a meat extender are some of the most popular ways to use bulgar.

There are 4 basic ways to prepare bulgar

1. Non pre-soak method
1 cup bulgar
2 1/2 cups liquid
cook in a covered saucepan over low heat until all the liquid is absorbed about 20-30 minutes
remove from the heat and let stand covered for an additional 10 minutes the grains will dry out and will easily fluff with a fork

2. Hot pre-soak method
1 cup bulgar
3-4 cups boiling liquid
let stand 40 minutes or longer
drain through a cheesecloth and squeeze out the extra liquid

3. cold pre-soak method
1 cup bulgar
3-4 cups water
let stand for 2 - 21/2 hours
drain through a cheesecloth and squeeze out the extra liquid.

4. Boiled method 
1 cup bulgar
3 to 4 quarts water
bring to a boil reduce heat and boil 20 minutes
 drain the bulgar in a strainer and press the grains dry with the back of a spoon before serving


Once the bulgar is soaked or prepared, you can use it in a variety of dishes one of the best known is tabbouleh salad. In the United States it is most often used as a meat extender or made into a pilaf. Below are some links to bulgar recipes. 


eating well.com 
New York Times bulgar recipes


We did an experiment where we made our own bulgar. It was quite easy and the children loved helping to grind the toasted grain. 

To make your own Bulgar

1. place whole wheat kernels in a pan
2. add cool water to cover by about 2 inches
3. bring to a boil
4. turn of the heat and let the wheat sit for about 2 hours
5. drain off the excess water
6. spread the wheat in a thin layer on a baking sheet
7. dry in a 200 degree oven for 6-8 hours until dry and crisp
8. crack the dried wheat to desired size using a hand grinder, blender, or morter and pestle.

The kids really had a great time making the bulgar, and I got to use my new mortar and pestle that I got for Christmas. It was a fun experiment for all of us. Getting the children involved in the preparation of food is a great way to help them experience new foods.  I hope that you and your family will enjoy a new recipe made with bulgar.









© Winterling | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos




shared at keep it real thursdays

making perogies

Perogies, Yum. For those of you who have never had them they are  a polish dish somewhat similar to a ravioli. They are typically filled with mashed potato and onion. Many times they have cheese included. They are most often browned in a hot skillet with butter after being boiled. They can be found in the frozen section of many grocery stores, but it is easy to make your own.

The recipe I used was quite simple

for the dough
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup butter softened
about  1 Tablespoons warm water

mix the ingredients together in a bowl until it begins to come together in a ball
Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead into a ball working it until it quits sticking to your hands. cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes (can be held for 2 days)

Roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thickness
cut with a glass or a 2-3 inch round  cutter
Place about 1 Tablespoon of filling  (see below) on one half of the dough round
fold the other half over the top and pinch the edges to seal.  be sure to seal tightly so the potato mix does not leak out
can be cooked right away or can be refrigerated a day, or frozen up to 2 months
makes about 20 perogies

To cook perogies drop in a large pot of boiling water and let cook until they float to the surface about 6-8 minutes (8-10 if frozen)  It is typically served with sourcream,  sauted onions, and sometimes bacon.

Filling

I used leftover mashed potatoes from a previous meal. I added finely chopped onons sauted in butter and grated cheese

3 baking potatoes peeled and boiled until tender then mashed or ran through a food mill or potato ricer
1/4 cup finely chopped onion sauted in 1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup shredded cheese
salt and pepper (about 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper)

Beyond January; New years resolutions part 1

How are your new years resolutions going? It has been a week, have you forgotten them already? I found one survey that said half of the people said that within a week they have forgotten that they even had a a new years resolution; another eleven percent say their resolutions last a week or less. another twelve percent say they last until the end of January. If you last past Valentines day you are among the elite. What is it about the new years resolution?

I thought it was a good idea to go along with several of my friends who's new years resolution is to have no new years resolution at all. I seems like such a stupid thing to make new years resolutions and then to forget them nearly as quickly as they are made. I have fallen into that trap many times. There us such a feeling in the air. I couldnt't escape, I could not get over those feelings; feelings like, "Why set yourself up to fail with all the others? This is stupid! Why bother; I make the same resolutions year after year.Why go along with the crowd, I don't want to give into pressure and make a resolution that I know I won't keep, but this is what we do. You are a failure if you do not even attempt to make a new years resolution. Come on, you have to have some kind of goal "  and  those thoughts go on. I have always fought back with thoughts of "I will make my resolutions later on in the year when I am more sure about it, and the hype has calmed down."


This year I knew it, I could not pass it off until later.  after all, putting it off til later It is just an excuse to not make new years resolutions. It has not worked in the past. There are some changes that need made. I have been gearing up mentally for months. I just needed a little nudge, I think that New years has given me the push to go forward. Now I am off and going on a resolution, how do I keep the momentum going. Check back next week as I share more thoughts about taking the new years resolution to the next level; going beyond January.




As an added note. I will be reading over Money saving mom's blog series "21 days to a more disciplined life". I began into the series as she was writing it. Things changed for me and I did not make it through the series. I remember that she has some great advice.

21 days to a more disciplined life blog series

orange gumdrop bars

The holiday season would not be complete at our house without gumdrop bars.

This is one of those recipes that is handed down through the family. They are my Father's favorite. Grandma always made them with the orange gumdrop slices and pecans, the original recipe calls for fruit flavored gumdrops and does not specify any kind of nut.



Orange gumdrop bars

Preheat the oven to 325
Grease a pan measuring about 10x15 inches

1 cup gumdrops cut into small peices
1/2 cup nuts finely chopped
1 Tablespoon all purpose flour
Mix together and set aside for later use

into a mixing bowl combine
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups brown sugar
3 large eggs
1/4 cup evaporated (canned) milk

beat these together well with a mixer on medium speed (about 2 minutes)
stir in the gumdrop mixture
spread the batter in the greased pan.
bake on a rack slightly below center of the oven for  about 35 minutes.
when done the cake should be slightly pulled from the sides of the pan.
cool completely before cutting into squares
makes 48 squares

haybox cooking the original crockpot/slowcooker

Before there were electric crock pot/slowcookers there was haybox cooking also known as a Norwegian stove.

The idea is simple: bring the food to a boil, insulate well, and let sit. The food will continue to cook at a slow rate for several hours or stay hot for up to 10 hours.




Making your own haybox cooker is quite simple.

You will need:

family sized cooking pot with a tight fitting lid (we use a dutch oven)
a large cardboard box
insulation material. This could be newspapers made into paperballs, shredded paper, sawdust, wood shavings, hay, or anything that can be packed tightly around the pot inside the box. (dirt would even work well in a pinch).
newspapers or other material for a box top
a fabric cover  (optional)


1. Choose a pan  that will hold enough food to serve your needs
2. find a sturdy cardboard box large enough to have about 5 inches of space around all sides of the pan
3. cover the bottom of the box with about 5 inches of tightly compacted insulation (The tighter you pack the insulation the greater heat retention)
4. Place the pan in the center of the box (on top of the insulation). The pan should fit just below the top of the box. Add more insulation to raise the pan to this level if needed.
5. place more insulation around the pot bringing the insulation level with the top of the pot. making it as compact as possible.
6. make a lid for the box. A stack of newspapers 3-4 inches thick secured with masking tape would do just fine for a lid.
7. make a fabric cover if desired.

The temperature in the box will usually range between 180-200 Fahrenheit. This depends on the compactness of the insulation materials and the tightness of the lid.

Cooking in the oven is very simple

bring the food to a boil and then place the pan into the box seal it up and let it be. Try to open the box as little as possible.

rice will be ready in about 30 minutes. Bring to a boil and then into the box for 1/2 hour
dry beans bring to a boil for 15 minutes then place in the box for 2-3 hours
stews bring to a boil for about 15-20 minutes then place in the box for about 2-3 hours
Any of your crockpot recipes can be adapted for haybox use. Just get the cooking process started, then into the box to continue cooking.

This method of cooking is so simple. Because there is no source of heat, the food will not overcook or burn no matter how long you leave the food in the box. Start food in the afternoon, it will be ready and hot for dinner later on in the evening.






Notes adapted from: The next crisis: Surviving in times of scarcity, Inter-American Institute pages 115-17



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