Cream Puff Tree

I hope your thanksgiving was all things wonderful. My day was full of happiness and family. I spent it with my two sisters Olga and Eva, along with my brother Jerry. The food was delicious and in abundance. Olga's daughter, Erika, was there with her kids and that was really nice. After we ate we hiked Thunderbird Mountain at the Tapatio Cliffs (We hiked to burn the calories so that we could eat dessert. Wink).

Here is a a picture of the cream puff tree that I made. The flower is a true turquoise color although in the picture it looks almost royal blue. With the second picture you can see how it looks when it is being built. It's fun and everyone stopped talking and went on about the tree with all the "Ooh" and "Aah". I knew it was a real hit went someone said they want these at their anniversary dinner.

Oh! Every cream puff was so light and tasted so good I couldn't believe how many I ate in such a short time. Where did I put that cabbage diet recipe? I think I need to do something about losing these pounds, again.

Have fun and enjoy the winter holidays.

XOX

Blessings,

"Sweet" Brown Rice

Day Seven on the Cabbage Soup Diet

(Oops. Hey, what is going on with my camera phone? It is blurry.)

I cannot believe it, this week has flown by so fast. I made it! This diet calls for a lot of eating. It feels as if I am stuffing myself each day but I am losing weight and I am losing inches. A total of seven pounds lost  and thinner by 2 1/4 inches on my waist.

Brown rice and real juice is on today's menu. If I am going to have brown rice for breakfast I want it to be sweetened and I want it to taste good. I searched for a sugar replacement and found that I could add coconut milk. It is slightly sweet and because it is made from coconut then it is milk and fruit juice at the same time, (I can have as much as I want). I was surprised that it taste so good and sweet; it does not leave me with that milkish-coated feeling in my stomach. I can also add vanilla and cinnamon to my sweet rice because both are spices or flavors and not really considered food.

Well, we are down to final day. Folks, I will post the weight and inches lost in this post so you won't have to wait any longer to know if this really works.

Breakfast: A glass of coconut milk.

Cooked brown rice, add coconut milk, vanilla and a pinch of cinnamon. Now, here is a little something I am going to add as a treat, almond butter. But just very little of the butter is all I need. (No, the diet does not mention nuts, but I always eat almonds.)

Lunch: I had a bowl of soup and added the brown rice.
And a glass of coconut milk.

Dinner: Bowl of soup with Tapatio sauce.

We made it through the whole week and I found the skinnier side of  me!

But, the best part of it all was sharing my journey with you.

Thank you for visiting me each day.
Mmwah!
And that, my friend, came from a "I lost seven pounds" woman.

XOX

Blessings,

There's Something Fishy Going On Around Here

Day Six on the Cabbage SoupDiet

Now, the diet says you can eat, "two or three steaks", Uh, no thank you. I will be having salmon for dinner tonight. (I am glad switching items is okay) So, fish it is! Oh, and Kristen makes the best salmon. I will share the recipe with you. (And all because I love you, dear.) I can eat a salad with dinner, too.

Breakfast: Hot cup of broth.

Lunch: 1 C. soup and crushed chilies.

Dinner: Salmon with ginger root, cilantro, lemon slice and cooked in orange juice.

Tossed salad.

This is Kristen's salmon recipe.

She places the salmon on top of sliced lemons, then adds grated ginger, garlic, adds a sprig of cilantro on each filet,and cooks it in orange juice for around ten minutes. Doesn't it look great? She knows how much I enjoy this dish. Yumm!

Maestro, Drumm roll please.
I lost 2 pounds but I have lost 1 1/4 inches on my waist! Woohoo!

Oh, things are looking so much better, since, you stopped by for a visit.

XOX

Blessings,

Beefy Tomato Stroganof

Day Five on the Cabbage Soup Diet

This is when I can add ten-twenty ounces of meat into my diet, it's a good thing I set aside the meat from day one when I made the soup. I should eat six tomatoes (That is a lot of tomatoes for one person!)
I also need to drink a lot of water on this day. There is a whole lot of eating in this diet. I did not eat the tomatoes and very little bit of meat. I cannot do more without feeling stuffed.

I prepared my day the night before. I cleaned out four medium size tomato for the bowls and placed them in the fridge. I made the tomato juice for the morning. (Christopher helped me with the picture)

Breakfast: 1 C. hot broth and

1 glass of fresh tomato juice:
I used the inside of the tomatoes for my juice, bottled water, and freshly squeezed lemon.

Lunch: Bowl C.S., diced tomato and Tapatio sauce.

Dinner: Beef Stroganof  with Tomato Bowl. (I should have taken a picture after I cut into the tomato and let the creamy sauce run over the spinach leaves.)

Saute meat with onions add some of the broth from the soup. Lower the heat and add plain Greek yogurt (Just cook it long enough to heat up the yogurt and still look creamy. Otherwise it will look curdled). No flour can be used to thicken the sauce but that's okay, because the broth is what I am using for the dressing on the spinach once I cut into the tomato.

Fill the tomato bowl with the stroganof.  Serve on a bed of spinach.

Snack: None. I was too full to eat a snack.

My sons and I enjoyed the Tomato and Beef Stroganof for dinner. (Kristen is vegetarian). I was not able to eat all the tomatoes called for but I had plenty.

I weighed myself this morning lost one pound. But I am not discouraged, I am going to finish the seven days through because I have lost another 1/4 inch. Yay!!

Your visit made my day!

XOX

Blessings,

Fruit and Cottage Cheese Lettuce Wrap

Day Four on the Cabbage Soup Diet

Okay, I weighed myself and lost two pounds, I lost 1/2 inch on my waist and my shoes fit loosely. I was worried since I did not see much progress on the scale earlier (I had only lost one pound before) although my clothes started fitting more comfortably. I am encouraged to continue this journey of finding the lighter side of me.

This is a "High Potassium" day. Yay! I have waited for this day to eat all the fruit I want to eat, Yay!!!

The program says I can eat up to eight bananas but I used other fruits instead and I replaced the skim milk with cottage cheese, cheese and yogurt. To view which other fruits are high in potassium go to Moms Who Think.

Breakfast: 1 Lettuce wrap.

Green leaf lettuce, low fat cottage cheese, cubed orange, sliced strawberries, with shredded cheese.
(It was very good but I should have used iceberg lettuce)
One cup of coffee broth.

Lunch: 1 1/2 C. of mixed fruit mixed with low fat plain Greek yogurt.

Kiwi, blueberries, strawberries, apple, and orange.

Dinner: Cabbage soup topped with shredded cheese and crushed red chilies.

Snack: 2 string cheese packages.

The potassium content in one banana has 422 mg. Times that by the allowed number of bananas, it comes to 3376 mg. As I stated above, I used other fruit instead: 1 C/ blueberries, two large oranges cubed, eight strawberries sliced, two kiwi sliced, 1/2 medium size Gala apple, and one lettuce leaf. Even with all this, I only achieved a potassium intake of 1285 mg. But it was very filling and satisfying.

I was pleased to see I lost two pounds. I am really enjoying the morning cup of the heated broth and am thinking of taking extra to work with me.

This was such a good day. Thank you for stopping by for a visit.

XOX

Blessings,

Steamy Potatoes

Day Two

I know I will have to be creative to enjoy my meals. So, I will try a few things differently than what might be on the diet. I might replace one item for another or prepare it differently for the sake of something more appealing. For instance, The recipe says you can eat one baked potato, but how about mashing the potato or broth and potato, instead. On the first day I cooked the soup with potatoes and meat, I will eat the cooked potatoes tonight instead of a baked potato.

Breakfast: Cabbage soup smoothie.

I read on the Cabbage Soup Diet site for breakfast you can blend the soup as a juice/smoothie type drink.

I added raw celery and I am counting this as my first bowl of soup of the day. (All I will say is that it was different. Not bad, but different.)

Lunch: Cabbage soup.

Dinner: Cubed potato from the soup with real butter, pepper, and a little bit of the broth. This is flavorful because it was cooked with seasonings and with the butter, Mmm, so good!!

Snack: 7 Almonds

I have been exercising with weights and tummy crunches. I know many people say not to use weights in dieting because it builds muscle, but I always use weights because I want to build muscle; I am getting older and need stronger bones and muscle. If I lose inches then I know it is working. I am looking for a thinner me.

Thank you for sharing my journey on the Cabbage Diet.

XOX

Blessings,

Asian Roasted Cabbage

Day Three of the Cabbage Soup Diet

Today, I can eat all fruits or vegetables. Since, I am eating cabbage anyway, why not roasted cabbage with lemon and ginger? 哈利路亞 (That means "Hallelujah" in Mandarin) 

Breakfast: (1) Apple slices with shredded carrot.

One coffee mug of hot broth ( I count this as one cup of soup).

(Pretend it is a cup of coffee. Hmm, this is good).

Lunch: Cabbage soup with Tapatio sauce

Dinner: Broiled cabbage

Serves two.

Ingredients:
Half a cabbage
2 T. Lemon juice
1 tsp. minced ginger
Sea salt and pepper (to taste)
Black roasted sesame seeds

Cut cut into strips. Set aside.
Mix the lemon, ginger, salt, pepper together. Add the cabbage and mix well. Pour into a roasting dish then sprinkle the top with black roasted sesame seeds (I did a light sprinkle but I should have used more).

Broil in oven for 12 minutes. Take out of the oven, turn cabbage over in the dish, and roast for another eight minutes.


Serve with sweet chili sauce.


Snack: I did not have any; I was not hungry.

I lost 1/4 inch on my waist and lost one pound! Hallelujah!! I am on this journey to find the skinny me. ;)

That was so good! So glad I can share the recipe with you. Enjoy!

XOX

Blessings,

My Journey on the Cabbage Soup Diet

My Version of the Cabbage Soup Diet.

I have been wanting to go on the Cabbage Soup diet for quite some time and as we are entering cooler weather, what a perfect time to begin. You can find the recipe at www.cabbage-soup-diet.com.

I added meat and potatoes to the soup for the rest of my family, I do not think that will affect the diet as long as I am not eating it today. Before putting the soup away, I separated the meat and the potatoes from the soup in separate containers and will save them for later in the diet. The program says to eat 2-3 bowls of soup a day. On this diet I will need to drink plenty of water. Well, here goes.

Day One

I decided I would start my day with a detox juice and have the soup for dinner.

Breakfast: Juice

I used 1 bunch of cilantro, lemon with peel, a 1/2 tsp. Brewer's yeast, 1 bottled water, and ten almonds in a blender. It made plenty that I had the rest for lunch.

Lunch:

Cilantro juice

I am not supposed to have meat nor dairy on this day but I ate two paper-thin slices of elk sausage (Bro. Smith's elk sausage, it really is the best elk sausage I have ever tasted!) with 1/2 C. low fat cottage cheese.

Okay, now I am going to start.

Dinner: Cabbage soup with  crushed dried chilies for flavor.
(The picture of the soup was taken on day four; that is why it had cheese)

Enjoy the cooler weather with a bowl of soup and stay warm.

XOX

Blessings,

I Am So Far Behind!

What! October is almost over?

As the White Rabbit in, Alice in Wonderland said,

"I'm late! I'm late! I'm late!"

 October is almost over and I am just getting started.

Here's a little taste of autumn with apple cinnamon chips.
With help from Christopher, we were able to make these apple chips and applesauce.

See the star in the center?
I got the recipe for the apple chips from Rachel at www.bakedbyrachel.com. It looked so simple and I thought making these for a nice autumn treat. I usually make caramel apples but am running behind for my October plannings. What caught my eye was the baking time, 1 to 3 hours( it took almost three). I used Gala apples for that October taste. Three items is all it takes: apples, cinnamon, and sugar; you can find the recipe here.

Finally, I caught up with October. Thank you, Christopher.

Wouldn't it have been wonderful if October were all year?

XOX

Blessings,

Keep Going

I came across this post on, People I Admire.

"If you hear the dogs, keep going. If you see the torches in the woods, keep going. If there’s shouting after you, keep going. Don’t ever stop. Keep going. If you want a taste of freedom, keep going."-Harriet Tubman.

It gave me the sensation of the urgency, "Don't Stop For Anything!!", and I was stirred and encouraged. Jared walked in the living room after I read it and I turned and said to him, "Son, if you want to be saved, keep going. If you want to see Jesus, keep going. I want you to be saved so when I am in heaven I will be looking for you, because I knew that you kept going."

I hope you are encouraged!

XOX

Blessings,
 

Pinterest Source

People I Admire

Cloning Pictures

This is the open enrollment period for insurance plans and that means we have entered the busiest time of the year at my job. But I wanted to show you a bit of cloning I did with pictures at My Pic Monkey.

These are the original pictures taken at the family reunion.

By using the cloning tool I was able to make individual photos of my sisters and my cousin. All the pictures you see below were cloned. You just target the clone spot you want and then see it develop where you need it.

My sister Tencha is no longer visible in the background because I cloned the tree to make it look as if though Olga had posed alone for this picture.

My cousin Amelia was standing beside Tencha, can you see the white

t-shirt just over Tencha's shoulder? Oops. missed a spot.

Rosalva used to have three people behind her.

Oh, do you see where I left a bit of Carol's turquoise colored shirt?

This is Carol. I cloned the tree where Eva was on the right and Rosalva below.

It was fun working on these pictures, You may have seen them on the slideshow I had up from PhotoBucket. 

Well, like the song says, "Everything is Beautiful" but, in my own way.

XOX

Blessings,

Brewers Yeast and Calcium

I was hospitalized recently, and with the result of the diagnosis I decided to do a little bit of research on how to improve my health and hopefully prevent future ailments from happening. The doctors ran several tests and I found that I have not taken very good care of myself as I should or as I thought I had done. In my research in what my body needs I have come across a few things I would like to share with you.

1. Did you know that fresh fruit and vegetables have more calcium if they are cooked rather than fresh?
See the Facts here
Tomato

EI: Fresh tomato=1%         Tomato soup=3%  Tomato sauce without salt=3%

Some fruits and vegetables increase in much greater percentage amounts.

As for meats, cooking with the bone increases the calcium content in food. Here's an example: Cook the meaty bone as if preparing stock, the calcium levels increases in the duration of the cooking. Then add your vegetables and meat. Read here.

That is just a small example of the many food products I have looked up. Not all cheeses are equal in calcium content nor are the nuts. One may be higher than the other such as with almonds, they are loaded with over 70 mg calcium, whereas walnuts have under 27 mg (eHow).

 I am not amazed how often I come across the information on almonds. Since Aaron's rod budded with almonds (Numbers 17:8), I have always felt that, since God used them they must be an above average nut. (Uhh, did that sound right or right funny). I eat a lot of almonds, always have and always will. (Remember the post I wrote on St. Ives, Almond Milk soap? Almonds have many health benefits. I buy natural almonds at Walmart on 51st Ave and Northern. By natural I mean they are not roasted, salted, etc...If you look in the produce section and in the snack aisle, the prices are outrages but if you go to the aisle where they have the dried fruit and pistachios and other nuts, on the top, top, top shelf hardly in the eye's view you will find packages for under $5.00. I have been grounding it and turning it into almond flour, which by the way is very expensive. (I save so much money making my own for baking, toppings, or gravies)

I decided to visit other sites and found (which I already knew) magnesium and the B complex vitamins were needed to be added (or I should say, taken FAITHFULLY, since I already have them in my cabinet). One piece of information I found was Brewers Yeast (not bakers yeast) and the health benefits (it does not have calcium) and what it can do to our hair. Amen, Sister! I ordered the Brewers Yeast Flakes on Amazon and the brand I purchased was...

Did you notice the label, Kosher and Glutten Free.NOTHING ADDED!

In doing the research I found a lot of positive remarks and rating on this product. I cannot wait to get started. I can add it to fruit, cooking, a juice or water, lose some weight, increase my good health, have shiny and restorative hair.

According to Healthline, "Brewer's yeast contains all the essential amino acids, 14 minerals, and 17 vitamins. It is one of the best natural sources of the B-complex vitamins thiamin, riboflavin,niacin, B₆, pantothenic acid, biotin, and folic acid. It is also high in minerals, including chromium, zinc, iron, phosphorus, and selenium. Brewer's yeast is also a good source of protein. It contains approximately 16 g of protein per 30 g of powdered yeast. Brewer's yeast is a good source of RNA, an immune-enhancing nucleic acid that may help in the prevention of degenerative diseases and slowing the aging process."

I read on Livestrong.com, "Brewer's yeast contains many nutrients important for healthful hair. It contains the B vitamins biotin, riboflavin, thiamine, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine and folic acid. It's also a source of selenium. All of these nutrients contribute to the health of your hair. There are many ways to incorporate this nutritional powerhouse into your diet. Try it on popcorn, in soups or sauces, on salad, mixed with butter on broccoli or in mashed potatoes.

You can add it as a topping on ice cream, or add to milk as a "malt-shake", sprinkle it on fruit, the list is endless. 

I read it can help heal acne, read here.

Someone who might be on antidepressants, or high blood pressure medication should not take this. It can cause some problems so talk with your doctor first. None of the information I am sharing with you is medical advice but web sources I have come across and you may want to discuss with your Primary Care Physician (PCP) before trying or adding anything to your diet.

For the overall improvement of my health, Brewer's Yeast and a calcium-magnesium drink.

There is only one you, so please, take care of yourself!
And know that I love you.
(That sounds like two spoons of sugar)

XOX

Blessings,

Sources

Healthline

Livestrong.com
Health Corner by Julene Tripp Weaver

You Oughta Be In Pictures -Espinoza Family Reunion

A picture paints a thousand words. 

We were gathered together as Family and as family, we knew we were loved and blessed to be together.

My Tia Ruth is helping make tortillas. It was Carlo's recipe and they were wonderful!!

psst... I got the recipe, too.

The Organizer of the reunion was my brother, Carlo, he has a heart of gold. Carlo, Bingham, Monica, Olga, were responsible in the programs, I did the games, and everyone helped where a hand was needed.

I love being with my sisters; it's a girl thing, I guess. Of the girls born into the family, Carol is the first and Eva  is number five, and I am the sixth.

Olga, sister number three.

Erika is grilling chicken. Ray is in the red hat.

Diane is in the background, Olga is also making tortillas, Ismael is to the right of Olga and Carlo is to the left.

Stephanie helped in the grilling, too.

My sister, Hortencia (Tencha) is the second of the girls born to the family.

My mom looks great in hats and has quite the collection of them.
That is where we girls get our love for hats.

Eva, Olga, Carol, our cousin Amelia, my Aunt Angela, me and Tencha

My aunts with my mom.

Me, Ismael and Carlo.

Top L-R: Erika, Rosalva, Alicia, Carol, Amelia, and I.

Seated L-R: Tencha, Olga, Eva, Tia Ruth, Tia Angela, and Linda.

You oughta be in pictures, we had a spot right beside us for you.

XOX

Blessings,