HALLOWEEN DECOS 101

I love the Holidays, I get to decorate and have friends and family over and Halloween is no exception.

So this year I decided to make Halloween decos and this is the first one I will share, my 2x3 foot paper mache spider!   The kids have a great time with the paper mache and they get to do it together.   So, let's get started.

This is what you will need:

1.   Lot's of strips and sheets of newspaper or any other kind of scratch paper you have ( avoid colored ones)
2.   A balloon or something that resembles the shape you want the spider's body
3.   Masking tape
4.   Paper mache paste: I use 1 part flour to 1 1/2 part water respectively ( make it just a little thicker than elmers glue) it will thicken as it sits so don't go to thick.
5.   Paint in colors of your choice to finish the spider.

Step 1:
Make the body by blowing up the balloon the size you want, make the head by using a square sheet of newspaper and stuffing it with wadded up paper, wrap it up the shape you want and tape it together.   Now tape the head and body together.   Next, I took a full sheet of newspaper and cut it lengthwise.   I folded it up 1 inch wide to make some nice long legs. Tape these to the top side of the spiders body slightly overlapping them. Now you are ready to get dirty!

Step 2:

Now, start dipping the strips of paper in the paper mache paste, be sure that they are wet but not dripping.
Wrap you spider in at least 3 layers (I recommend 4) all the way around.  I made the legs by twisting them up and layering with 4 layers of mache strips.   Here is the big guy after his wrapping, notice I had to prop him up so he wouldn't stick to the paper on the table, as well as to hold him in place.  Also, position the legs the way you want them and use various household items to hold them in place while drying as you can
see I did here.   Allow to dry for 24 to 48 hours.
 
Once dry, paint and decorate as you wish.




HAVE FUN AND ENJOY!

Jacqui Allen

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REALITY CHECK!

Some of you may have notice that I haven't posted lately, some may not have and some of you probably don't care (that's ok, I know you're busy).   But, I do want to share what's been going on (there is an important lesson to learn here!)  

In the last few months I have taken a part time job (needed some extra cash), in 3 weeks time I have had a total of 7 house guests and I have come to the realization that I have been managing my life a little too well (maybe even too too well?).   At first, I thought "it wouldn't be that much of a strain after all it is only 4 hours a day 5 days/week and I would be working right out my office at home (Sweet!)".   Well, I couldn't have been more wrong (I wouldn't admit this normally, but in the name of "full disclosure" I will make an exception).

THE FALL OUT:

First and foremost, I am ashamed and embarrased to admit that I have not been feeding my family very well.   My house is a mess (not so feng shui right now) and everybody is so tense, uptight and short tempered that it has turned into a nightmare!!!!!   At first, I told myself "everyone will get used to it" (at this point the likehood of that happening is a snowballs chance in YOU KNOW WHERE.....)   So, I ask myself "WHY?"   Like I mentioned above, I have been managing my life too well.   Which as become a great disservice to my family, because apparently I have not done them or myself any favors by not delagating more responsibility to them. (Family, I say this with love and I take full responsibility).   That, I find to be a very BAD decision on my part to allow this to happen (again, I wouldn't normally admit to this).   Oh, yeah the answer to my question "WHY?"   Listen carefully because I will never admit to this again!   I am not a very good delagator (it's so much easier to just do it myself, I know I sound like a control freak).   AND I COULDN'T HAVE BEEN MORE WRONG!  

THE PLAN:

1:   I WILL learn to delagate more responsibility to the members of our household.
2:   I WILL teach my family to be independant members of our household and not just follow me like baby ducks.
3:   I WILL take time out for me.
4:   I WILL learn to say "NO".

Well, that is it in a nutshell.....It's been quite a rollercoaster ride these last few months.   I will keep you updated on the progress.

ENJOY!

Jacqui Allen

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BAKED VEGGIE LASAGNA

It's lasagna, what more can I say?   A favorite in households the world over.   But, it can also be a "hip enlarger" there are ways to trim the fat and not lose the flavor and this is the favorite recipe at our house hope you like it too!

Here is what you will need:

1 small zuchinni 1/4 inch slices
1 small yellow squash 1/4 inch slices
1 lb. button mushrooms sliced
1/2 large red onion sliced
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 lb. frozen spinach thawed and drained
1 lb. cheese (your favorite) shredded
1 cup of ricotta or "mockotta" cheese You can find the recipe for the "mockotta" in my no bake lasagna recipe http://thisandthatwithjax.blogspot.com/2010/04/no-bake-veggie-lasagna.html
1 package of oven ready lasagna sheets (I love this stuff!)
26 oz. jar of spaghetti sauce or homemade
1 cup water
garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Sautee veggies individually making sure you use a couple pinches of salt to help release the water (this is important or your lasagna will be watery) add a couple sprinkles of garlic powder & pepper to taste and be sure that all the liquid has evaporated.   Set aside to cool.  You can prepare the veggies the day before if you need too.

Combine 24 oz. of sauce and 1 cup of water.
Start with spraying pan with non-stick spray, spread 3/4 cup of sauce on bottom of pan and lay down first layer of pasta.

Spread a thin layer of "mockotta" or ricotta on pasta and layer with veggies.   Sprinkle a hand full of shredded cheese (don't use too much, you want to save most of the cheese for the top).

Continue layering the "mockotta"/ricotta, veggies, pasta, cheese and sauce finishing with a layer of pasta, sauce and cheese.   Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes then remove foil and continue to bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until top is browned.

Remove from oven and allow to set for 10 minutes before cutting and serve.


Enjoy!


Jacqui Allen

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7 REASONS TO DRINK GREEN TEA

The good news about green tea is hard to ignore!   Even a java junky like me, has to admit I have been drinking this subtle brew.   This dose of disease fighting, inflamation annihilating antioxidant should be enough incentive to drink it, but there's more.....

1:   Cuts risk of cancer with several polyphenols, the antioxidants that make green tea famous seem to help keep cancer cells from growing and preventing your body from producing new ones.

2:   Soothes the skin, if you have any extra tea that you didn't drink (shame on you!) soak a cotton ball in it, for a natural antiseptic that relieves itching and swelling.   Works on blemishes, sunburns and puffy eyes too.

3:   Cut high blood pressure with just 1/2 cup of green tea per day.

4:   Protect your memory by drinking 2 cups a day to protect brain from damage caused by free radicals.

5:   Keep your arteries young with green tea, it reduces plague build up.

6:   Helps in reducing the risk of esophageal cancer.

7:   It is thought that green tea helps prevent tooth decay, due to the anti-bacterial effects.

I hope this has been useful information for you, Enjoy!


Here are the sources for above information:
http://chinesefood.about.com/library/weekly/aa011400a.htm

http://healthmad.com/alternative/10-great-benefits-of-drinking-green-tea/

Jacqui Allen

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CRAZY FOR JUICE

Juicing was once popular and I think it is time to bring it back.   Forget about the high priced juice bars, for the cost of a juicing machine you can create your own customized juice recipes that fit your needs.

This is one I would like to share, I have one everyday and it provides energy,vitality and regularity as well as providing essential vitamins,minerals,fiber,amino acids,calcium and so much more.   You can get exact nutritional facts from http://www.nutritiondata.com/ for more info to customize a recipe that's right for you.

This is what you will need:

2 kale leaves stemmed

1 carrot

1/2 cucumber

1 orange

1 apple

2 sprigs of cilantro

1 celery rib

1 tomatoe

1 small chunk of ginger

Be sure to clean,peel and cut all veggies prior to juicing.   Follow manufacturers instructions on how to use your machine.   I like to alternate softer fruits and veggies with firm ones to help push the softer ones through.

Once prepped make your juice.   Yes it's that simple.

Enjoy!

Jacqui Allen

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NO BAKE VEGGIE LASAGNA

I am always trying to look for ways to add a little change to everyday meals.   So, I came up with a recipe for a no bake veggie lasagna.   You can have this as a main dish or side dish but no matter how you serve it I know you will enjoy it too.   You can use any of your favorite veggies, but this is what I used.

Here is what you will need:

8 of your favorite tomatoes (4 sliced thin)
2 cloves of garlic peeled
1 lb. bag of frozen spinach thawed and well drained
2 zuchinnis sliced in thin rounds
2 yellow squash sliced in thin rounds
1/2 a package of firm tofu
salt and pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, dried basil
lemon juice and canola or olive oil

First step is to slice the veggies and then marinate  the zuchinni and squash in about 1/2 cup of lemon juice and 1 tsp. of salt for approximately 30 minutes or until softened.   Meanwhile, prepare a tomato sauce using a blender or food processor.   Puree 4 tomatoes, 1 clove of garlic, a generous sprinkle of salt, onion powder and paprika and about 1/2 tsp. of basil, set aside.

Using a food processor make spinach pesto by pureeing spinach, salt, onion and garlic powder, 1 tsp. of lemon juice and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of oil and set aside.

Now to make the "mockotta" cheese spread.   Using your food processor puree the tofu, 1 garlic clove, salt and pepper to taste and add water as needed if too thick, it should be the consistency of a thick milkshake.   Set aside.   Now you are ready to assemble the lasagna.

Start by layering the zuchinni and squash slightly overlapping in the bottom of pan.

Spread an even layer of the non-cheese and spinach pesto on top, and drizzle to tomatoe sauce on.

Follow with a layer of tomatoes and then the sauces and non-cheese, continue layering until you have used up all the veggies and sauces.   Cover, chill for at least 30 minutes and then serve.

Enjoy!

Jacqui Allen

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PORK LOIN POT ROAST

So, it's thursday and because of our busy schedule I have to make something that doesn't need "babysitting".

Most of the time this means, pull out the crock pot!   Normally we end up have stew or pot roast, but you can only take so much "beef".   This week I decided to try something a little different and so here is my pork loin pot roast, it was so tender I couldn't even slice it because it just fell apart and yes it tasted really good (even my picky 6 year old liked it)

So here is what you will need:

2 lb. pork loin roast

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 of med. size red onion chopped

1 pound of red potatoes (skin on) cleaned and chopped

14.5 oz. can of chicken broth (low fat and sodium)

1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar

1 tsp corn starch

Pork rub (recipe follows)

Start by plugging in your crock pot and set it to high, add the can of chicken broth and vinegar and mix in the corn starch.
Meanwhile, chop the carrots, celery, onion and potatoes and add them to the broth.
Next mix the following ingredients to make the rub:

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 tbsp. of your favorite pork rub ( you can find this in the spice isle)

1 tsp. each of dried thyme leaves, onion powder, garlic powder and ground coriander.

Mix all ingredients well for the rub.   Trim any excess fat from the pork loin as needed and liberally rub with the "rub" making sure to coat the whole loin and press the rub in.   Place the pork loin on top of the veggies in crock pot and cover.   Cook on high for 2 hours and then reduce heat to low for 3 hours more and serve.

Enjoy! Jacqui Allen

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10 WAYS TO BURN 100 CALORIES

Yes, I have been bombarding you with alot of information on health and wellness.   But, summer is coming and people are thinking about looking and feeling good.   So here is another one for you.   What it takes to burn 100 calories:

1:   Washing dishes, it only takes 28 minutes

2:   20 minutes of washing windows will burn 100 calories

3:   Flying a kite for 30 will do the trick.

4:   Playing catch only takes 30 minutes

5:   30 minutes of exploring at the zoo

6:   Tossing a frisbee for 25 minutes

7:   25 minutes of stretching burns 100 calories

8:   Play softball/baseball for 17 minutes

9:   11 minutes of soccer and 100 k will melt away

10:   Bicycling at 12-14 mph for 10 minutes will burn 100 calories

This has been another health and wellness post, hope it changes your life.

Enjoy!

Jacqui Allen

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Amazing food in Oregon

In the not so distant past our family took a 2 week long road trip to the Northwest, my husband's 30  year high school reunion was coming up that we wanted to attend in Portland, Oregon.   So we decided to make a vacay out of it.   Made many stops along the way like Hell's Canyon, Mt. St. Helen's and more.   But, the memory I have of the vacay will always be the trip we took to Lincoln City, Oregon (yes this was a trip within a trip) We stayed at a fabulous place called the Candlelight Inn, they even allow pets (which is very important since we were traveling with our little Yorkie)  Cute little place right by the beach.

Our first night there we went out for dinner, the place we wanted to go to was full and had a 1 1/2 hr. wait (yes, forget that)  Happy accident this was because we ended up at the most amazing place I had been too in a long time, the Side Door Cafe.   Not only did the place have character, but the staff was fun, friendly and personable and of course the service was excellent.   The food was unforgetable, there is not one thing we ordered that we didn't like.   But, what stands out for me was the menu item I ordered.   Ciapinno, what an amazingly talented chef they had ( I hate to admit, but his recipe was even better than mine) This dish was made with of course the freshest seafood in town, but also with great care.   This was very obvious, since you could taste every flavor in that dish, nothing overpowered the other it had perfect balance.   I can't even discribe how melt in your mouth delicious it was.   All I can say is, if you are ever in the Lincoln City, Or. area.   YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST GO TO THE SIDE DOOR CAFE. http://www.edenhall.com/

Enjoy!

Jacqui Allen

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10 SNACKS WITH 100 CALORIES OR LESS

Snacking is important to keep your metabolism going, so here are some snack ideas that are easy to keep around and will satisfy.

1:   Baked apple with 1 tbsp. cinnamon sugar mixture= 90 calories

2:   Apple = 80 calories

3:   1 string cheese = 80 calories

4:   1 hard boiled egg = 70 calories

5:   Celery, green peppers and cucumbers = no calories

6:   2 ounces of water packed tuna = 96 calories

7:   3 cups of light microwave popcorn = 100 calories

8:   1 Haagen-dazs raspberry vanilla ice cream bar = 100 calories (woohoo, ice cream!)

9:   1/2 of a hershey bar (save it or share) = 100 calories

10:   23 chocolate covered raisins ( I would never leave out the chocolate) = 100 calories

Well I hope you find some tasty treats here that will satisfy your munchies, but not the hips.

Enjoy!

Jacqui Allen

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LOSE 1 POUND PER WEEK

You may be thinking "1 pound per week?   That's nothing.  But to someone struggling to lose weight, that is a miracle!   That is 52 pounds per year, not bad really.   All you have to do is 1 simple thing, cut 500 calories per day.   Yep, that's it just shave 500 calories daily and you can lose 1 pound per week.

Here are 5 options to help you do just that:

Breakfast:

Instead of having a bagel with cream cheese and coffee with cream and sugar.   Have a toasted english muffin with light cream cheese and coffee with skim milk or nonfat creamer.   You will save 500 calories.

Beverages:

Instead of having a 20 ounce soda, one cup of orange juice or that second glass of wine.   Have unlimited H2O, naturally flavored seltzer and unsweetened tea.   You will cut 500 calories.

Lunch:

Instead of having that sub roll with mayo, high fat meats like bologna,salami, pastrami ect.   Have whole wheat bread, spicy mustard, lean turkey or ham and reduced fat cheese.   You will lose 500 calories.

Snacks:

Replace the candy bar, chips and 20 ounce soda with baby carrots, string cheese and an apple.   Drop 500 calories.

Dinner:

You could have steak, fried potatoes, a buttery dinner roll and buttery veggies or have grilled chicken or fish, baked potato with 1 tbsp. of sour cream and sauteed spinach with 1-2 tsp. of olive oil and garlic.   You will save 500 calories.

Hope this helps!   To your health and wellness.

Enjoy!

Jacqui Allen

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FOOD REALLY IS YOUR FRIEND!

Yes, it sounds silly but it is true.   Food is not your enemy!   You need to eat to survive and you need to eat to burn calories.   If you don't eat enough to support your bodies daily needs it will store everything you do eat instead of burning it for energy.   This will leave you feeling tired and run down.

So, here are some very simple ways to keep your metabolism going:

1:   Eat breakfast, you haven't eaten since last night!   If you skip this meal your metabolism will slow down.

2:   Eat healthy, lean proteins, fruits and veggies and avoid sugar and alcohol.

3:   Snack,  every 4-6 hours is good.   Have fruits and veggies or low fat cheese.

4:   Exercise, even if your mind resists.

5:   Lift weights, muscle burn up to 5 times more calories than fat.

6:   Keep a food diary, this will help you see what you are eating.

7:   Drink lots of water, staying hydrated will keep your energy up and your metabolism going.

8:   Drink green tea, before meals is best it will speed up your digestion.

9:   Get enough sleep, I won't tell you 8 hours because everyone is different.   Listen to your body.

10:  Eat according to your schedule, if you have a busy day eat well for breakfast and lunch and go light for dinner.    If you have a busy evening than switch that around.

I hope this helps anyone trying to maintain or lose weight or just wants to feel better.

Enjoy!

Jacqui Allen

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A LITTLE GIRL WITH A BIG HEART

 About 2 years ago, my daughter deciced she wanted to grow her hair out long.   I reluctantly went along with it ( I did that when I was little too and it was not fun after awhile, my hair was so hard to manage)   This is her today.   A few months ago I mentioned to her that when we cut her hair, we should donate it to "locks of love" She asked what that was and explained it to her.   She says " that's cool, let's do it".


It is now time to cut off that hair!!!!!

So, here is our trip to the hair dresser ( Thank you Salina for being so patient)

Washing the hair is very relaxing!

Ok, now the hair is clean and it's time for the first "CHOP"

OOPS there it is, no going back now!




Now it's time for a styling cut.... She had a picture in her mind of what she wanted and so she drew it out for Salina.

And now for a few last minute touches..............

All done, Bye bye hair she says, I know you will make someone a very happy wig!

We had a really fun time and she really likes her new haircut.   I am very proud of how excited she was to donate her hair to help less fortunate children.

For more information on "locks of love" go to http://www.locksoflove.org/donate.html

Enjoy!

Jacqui Allen

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VIRTUAL WEIGHT LOSS CHALLENGE

I know this seems a little bit odd but, really who likes to go to weekly meetings and all that stuff?   I am offering you an opportunity to get help, support and a safe place to vent, confess or just get a little encouragement.   Announcing the VIRTUAL WEIGHT LOSS CHALLENGE!   Here are the rules:

1:   Commit.   This is very important!   Declare your commitment by posting a comment that you are in.

2:   Email me a before photo and your current weight and measurements ( be sure and measure chest, hips, waist and both thighs.  Start on the first day and  do this at the same time of day each week so your stats are consistent.) also, your weightloss goal.   If you do not send these you will not qualify.   Do not worry, I will not share with anyone, this is just between us and we will remain on a first name basis throughout the challenge.   Email to jacquiallen@ymail.com

3:   Subscribe via email to our blog so you don't miss out on important info to help you achieve your goal and to get healthy recipes to help you on the way.

4:   Email your weekly stats ( weights and measurements, remember to this at the same time of day each week) jacquiallen@ymail.com

5:   Share and support daily via comments, so that you can help each other through the challenge.

6:    Pick a program:   You can make up your own or choose a heatlthy diet and exercise program that works for you, Jenny craig http://www.jennycraig.com/ , weight watchers http://www.weightwatchers.com/  or herbalife http://www.reshape4good.com/ to name a few.

7:   Ask for help, if you are struggling and need help or support don't hesitate to ask.   I am here for you anytime.   Just shoot me an email or post a comment.   Email me at Jacquiallen@ymail.com

8:   Accept help.

9:   The winner will be determined by percentage of body weight lost (this is fair for both men and women) and a after picture must be emailed to qualify, along with your final weight and measurements

10:   The challenge will last for 2 months starting on April 1st. 2010 and ending May 31st. 2010 winner will be announced on June 1st. 2010, so be sure you email your final weights and measurements as well as send your after picture by midnight (est) on May 31st. 2010 to be eligible for prize. 

The prize for the winner is a $25 gift certificate for amazon.com All decisions of winner are final and made by me.

Hope to see you all happier and healthier!

Jacqui Allen

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ONE A DAY OR MULTY DOSAGE VITAMIN?

I am sure you are wondering, but this is a very important question.   Should you take a one a day vitamin or a multi dosage multy vitamin?   Well, do you remember the tv ad that said " you would have to eat this many bowls of that cereal to get the same amount of nutrients in one bowl of our cereal" commercial?   They weren't too far off from reality.   The truth is you would have to eat thousands of calories worth of food to get you daily requirements of the nutrition that you need.   This is due to many factors our foods do not provide us with the adequate amounts of nutrients our bodies need on a daily basis, because it is depleted by toxins from pollution, processing in the commercial industry and days since harvesting.   If, you are lucky enough to grow your own food, you may be getting your daily requirements.   But, most people don't have that luxury and they purchase food that has been harvested 2-3 days prior to reaching our grocery section in the supermarket (which is not so super).   Every day counts, once food has been harvested it begins to lose it's nutrional value.

So, supplementation is neccessary.   Since, most of our vitamins are water soluble, like vitamins a, all b vitamins and vitamin c, this means our bodies use and flush them in just a few hours.   We need to provide our bodies with a steady flow of both vitamins and minerals.   The way to accomplish this is by supplementing with a high quality, 3 times a day supplement ( one at each meal) that contains vitamins and essential minerals our bodies need.   this will not only help in weight loss, but in overal health.

So, bottom line do not use a one a day supplement.   Go with the 3 times a day multi vitamin.


Enjoy!

Jacqui Allen

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WHY CAN'T I LOSE WEIGHT?

Do you dread getting on the scale? Are you tired of being overweight and tired?

Are you trying to lose weight, but it's not coming off? or worse you're putting more on?

This happens to alot of people and one of the biggest reasons is: They are not getting proper nutrition.

If your body is lacking in essential nutrients it will store everything you do eat and save it for when it is needed.   However, if you are consistently not getting enough nutrition, your body will consistently continue to store and turn it into fat.   This can be changed by following a few simple rules:

1:   Do not skip meals ( you can use nutritional meal replacement shakes for breakfast and/or lunch if that helps)

2: Make your calories count, this means don't fill up on empty calories that don't provide nutrition.

3:  Drink plenty of water, the average person needs half their body weight in ounces of water per day (this means if you weigh 200 lbs you need 100 ounces of water)

4:   Snack, yes I said snack.   The best way to boost your metabolism is to keep feeding it, eat something about every 3 to 4 hours.   Now this doesn't mean chowing down on chips and cookies, choose healthy snacks (yogurt, low fat cheeses and some fruits or veggies... you get the pic?)

5:   Choose low fat, low carb and high protein meals.  A trick I learned is to first eat the low fat protein then your veggies and last your carbs (by then you will be full and won't eat too many carbs) 

Well that's all for today! I look forward to sharing more tomorrow.

Enjoy!

Jacqui Allen 

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NUTRITION FACTS 101

If you are trying to lose weight or just remain healthy this is for you.   I will be blogging about nutrition and weightloss over the next few days and I wanted to start with some basic info.

According to the CDC there 5 things our body needs on daily basis:
1: water
2: protein
3: minerals
4: carbohydrates
5: vitamins
This info can be found at  http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/index.html

The top 3 causes of death in the US are
1: Heart disease
2: Cancer
3: Stroke
These are typically diet related.  http://198.246.98.21/nchs/fastats/lcod.htm

The #2 leading cause of death in the US is Obesity and the #1 cause of death in the US is Tobacco, however Obesity is fastly catching up http://www.doctorslounge.com/primary/articles/obesity_death/
and beating out tobacco.   Why? Well let me tell you a story.   When my youngest child was about 9 months old, she was considered underweight, the "healthcare" professional told me to put butter on everything she eats to "fatten her up".   What? I was speachless.   I thought, you want me to feed my child fat and cholestorel to meet your statistical calculations of what a child her age should weigh?  I was appauld and scared.   Speaking with other mothers over the past 5 years, I have found that 9 out of 10 of them have been given the same "advise", it's no wonder that childhood obesity has tripled in the last 30 years http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/obesity/ and quite frankly, if this is the belief you have grown up with, of course it will continue into adulthood.   We need to take control of our lives and our eating habits.

Find a program or trusted nutritionist to work with and individualize a program that fits your needs.   Please remember that it is your body and you have control of how to take care of it.

May this bring you health and wellness,

Jacqui Allen

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HOME MADE PASTA

We all love pasta and it is not all that expensive, but have you checked the ingredients?   I don't even know why most of those things are in there (other than the obvious, PRESERVATIVES).   Well you can make your own pasta and know exactly what is going in it.   I like to make my own as much as possible and really it does taste so much better.   So, I thought I would share this simple basic egg noodle recipe with you and it is versatile for fettucine, linquine, spaghetti, lasagna sheets and if you have a fancy machine you can make macaroni, twirly noodles, penne ect. ect. I don' have a fancy machine, but I do love the manual roller/cutter that I have. It is very easy to use, even the kids like to crank the handle.   But if you dont' have either one you can simple roll out the dough with a rolling pin and cut them yourself or just for fun let the kids cut out shapes with cookie cutters.   Either way let's get to the recipe shall we?

for the basic egg noodle recipe you will need:

2 cups flour

2 eggs beaten

1 tsp. salt

water as needed

Mix all ingredients together until it forms a ball, if the dough is too sticky add a little flour 1 tbsp at a time but not too much the dough shouldn't stick to you like gum, but it shouldn't be too dry either if dry add water 1 tbsp at a time.   Once you have a nice soft ball of dough, wrap in plastic wrap and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes ( you can freeze it in an airtight container for about 3 months, be sure to allow to defrost slowly in the fridge.)  Once the dough has rested you can roll and cut it in whatever shape you wish.   Once cut lay out flat or hang on a pasta hanger until all the dough has been cut and cook it on up.

Enjoy!

Jacqui Allen

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POACHED GLAZED SALMON

POACHED GLAZED SALMON

If you like seafood here is a real quick and easy recipe for you.   You can you most types of firm fish, but in this case I used wild salmon fillets.

Here's what you need:

4 pieces of fish

1/2 cup of lemon juice

2 tbsp worcestshire sauce

3 tbsp of honey plus 2 tbsp

First warm 3 tbsp of honey so you can easily mix it with the lemon juice and worcestshire sauce and mix well.   Next place the fish fillets in a baking dish, pour sauce mix over fish and drizzle the remaining 2 tbsp of honey on top of the fish.   Bake/poach uncovered in a 375 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes or until done.

Enjoy!

Jacqui Allen

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TOOTHPASTE, SERIOUSLY?

Ok, so I never expected to even right a post about this and it is definetely not about food.   But, I had to share cause I was blown away at how well this worked.

I had some jewelry that I haven't worn in a while and it was seriously tarnished and I mean seriously (it was black)  it was in very bad shape.   So I tried the usual home remedies:

1- dish soap and ammonia ( and this usually works, but I guess it is more for maintenance than serious cleaning) needless to say that didn't work.

2- I read on several different websites that laundry detergent works well, so I tried that and well ah forget it.

3- The old stand by: alluminum foil and baking powder (nope that didn't work either)

4-I also read somewhere that windex works well too, nope no chance in hell!

5-Regular jewelry cleaner didn't stand a chance against this tarnish.

6-Then I remember in my search for a solution several people mentioned TOOTHPASTE, yep toothpaste.   Why not? I tried everything else and my jewelry was pretty much useless at this point, so I gave it a try and holy cow it worked!!!!!!
And it was very easy, just rub it on until it's clean, rinse and than wash it with dishsoap to get any residue off then rinse again and be sure to dry it well.   Oh my gosh, my jewelry looks brand new!!!!   Seriously, I was about ready to throw it away and replace it.

This is what it looks like now, sorry no before pics like I said I didn't expect to post about this.

So, I hope this helps anyone who needs a solution for restore old jewelry.

Enjoy!

Jacqui Allen

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