I hope your week has been a good one. It is so nice taking an early morning walk and feeling the fresh crisp air. It is a sign of things to come. Those of us living on the desert welcome the relief of Fall and crisp cool mornings. This week, we will be talking about a variety of subjects, and websites for you to visit. There are tips for losing weight, recipes for delicious and healthy smoothies, how to select an apple for baking pies, and the joys of baking soda! Namaste, until next week. Be the best you can be and live a happy and healthy life. Sincerely, Linda
Mimi Kitty Treats
My kitty, Mimi, can be so fussy! This is a recipe my vet gave me a long time ago. This recipe is easy to make, and chances are you already have the ingredients at home. I hope your fussy little kitty likes it! 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour ½ cup powdered skim milk 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 egg beaten ¾ cup beef or vegetable broth 1. Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Mix all dry ingredients. 3. Beat the egg in a one cup measuring cup. Add enough water to fill the cup. 4. Mix the egg mixture with the dry ingredients. Mix until the dough is stiff. 5. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough on floured surface. Roll to ¼ inch in thickness. 6. Cut with kitty cookie cutters, and place on a greased cookie sheet. *You can order the kitty cookie cutters from King Arthur’s Flour. They offer 4 cute animal cookie cutters for around $9.00. Their address is: The Baker’s Catalogue, Inc., 58 Billings Farm Road, White River Junction, VT 05001 Phone: 800-827-6836 (24 hrs. a day) Order: 4 Animal popout cutters #206671 4 cookie cutters. These are actual sugar cookie cut outs, but they work for kitties too! You might have to break up the cookie before giving it to your kitty. Their website is: KingArthurFlour.com/shop 7. Bake 15-20 minutes. 8. Cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 9. These kitty cookies can be frozen.
The Joys of Baking Soda!
I have a neat little black and white book entitled, The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing written by Michael de Jong. I wrote about this book in my last blog, and just wanted you to know this is my Bible for cleaning! The great thing about this book, is the author uses natural products. In fact, he only uses 5 cleaning agents: baking soda, borax, lemon, salt, and white vinegar. Most of us have these cleaning agents in our homes, and the important thing is that these cleaning agents are natural and inexpensive. Today, I am going to tackle the “wonderful world of baking soda”. 1. A sweet- smelling refrigerator: Place a newly opened box of baking soda in your refrigerator or in a closet. Replace every month. Recycle the old and used box by pouring it down your drain to keep your drain free of odors. 2. Spot cleaning wallpaper: Make a paste of baking soda and water. A paste may be made by adding a few drops of water to a quarter cup of baking soda. By the time you mix them together, the paste should have the consistency of toothpaste. Wipe it on the wallpaper with a soft, clean cloth. Attempt to remove the soil or spot using a slow, methodical, circular motion. Follow by wiping again, with a clean lightly dampened cloth. Be careful and use a delicate hand, otherwise, you could rip the wallpaper. You will need a little patience. 3. If you use a scouring pad made of metal: by adding baking soda you may prevent it from rusting. 4. This is a trick I use all the time, as I buy old books: Place musty books, old or new, into a plastic bag with (dry) baking soda. This will eliminate mildew and “stinky” odors. Allow the baking soda to absorb the odors and mildew. This process may take a few weeks. 5. Use baking soda on your hands to rid odors such as onions and garlic. Quickly scrub your hands with baking soda and water. Use a nail brush, and then rinse with warm running water. No more onion/garlic smell!
A Few Websites for you:
www.hoteltonight.com This is a great website if you travel a lot, and especially if you have short notice. The discounts are great. www.myrecipes.com The recipes are from Cooking Light, Real Simple and Southern Living as well as many other sources. 150 categories list meal ideas, seasonal menus, cooking videos, and entertaining tips. www.ocwconsortium.org This is a free and open digital publication of high-quality college and university-level educational materials. The index includes almost 6000 online courses offered by more than 60 sources and in 25 languages. www.craftsy.com This is a great site for those of you who like to sew, crochet, and knit. They also feature helpful videos. http://www.health.harvard.ed Every day this site features new topics including IBS, Alzheimer’s, high blood pressure, mindfulness, and osteoporosis. They even give a telephone number: 1-877-649-9457. I love this website, and that is why I list it every week!! Cutting edge “stuff”!
The Ten Habits to successful weight loss:
1. Eat your meals at the same time each day.
2. Eat reduced fat (avoid “Fat Free”, this usually means more sugar)
3. Walk off your weight
4. Pack healthy snacks
5. Learn to read labels: salt content, calories, serving size
6. Portion control counts!
7. Move! Choose an exercise routine you enjoy and will continue
8. Watch your beverages: calories, alcohol, sugar and salt content
9. Focus on your food; do not multitask while eating.
10. Eat at least five vegetables/fruits per day.
Healthy Habits for Your Heart. Pg. 52 by Monique Tello, MD
healthforhappiness.net 