Monday, January 30, 2012

Here's to My (Somewhat) Sugar-Free New Year!!!



Sugar is of the devil...at least for me it is. Every year I try to give up sugar for Lent which is for about 40 or so days starting with Ash Wednesday and ending sometime around Easter depending on my willpower and my ability to rationalize when Lent actually ends that year. It is getting harder every year and I have done some serious rationalizing in the past few years.

Well this year is different. Sarah and I decided to give up sugar forever. Not really, but pretty much. She sees me as a serious sugar junkie...and herself going in the same direction. I have told her it is easier to foster good habits at 16 than at well...older.

So our goal this year is to just give it up. We discussed a few rules though...I mean it can be fun to have some sweets on occasion. We decided that FHE is one of those times. It just isn't the same if we don't get a treat for FHE. So we can have a treat on that day. It isn't supposed to be a full blown sugar fest on Monday...just a treat. However the last two Mondays have been a bit excessive. I did find that the amazing brownies Sarah made last Monday were a bit sweet (to a person whose life motto is "You can never be too sweet or too rich." Unfortunately, even though my body said stop eating these wonderfully sweet, rich brownies...you are getting sick... I managed to finish my two anyway. (See it's a sickness.) We also get to have some sweets if we are on a date and the guy buys it for us... (a leftover from my college days) Sarah is more likely to get that benefit than I am. **sigh**

Hopefully in time I will find that one small sweet will be sufficient.

When it becomes hard is when Jacob makes things that look wonderful and we want some but can't have any. Yesterday, Jacob made some Belgian waffles. They smelled wonderful...but face it...they are not nearly as wonderful without some hot buttermilk syrup over them...or some kind of syrup at least. But I came up with a yummy substitute... I mashed a small amount of natural peanut butter with a banana until it was all mooshy and then spread it on the waffle. It was soooo yummy and very filling. I only ate 1/2 a waffle and made it through church. I think that extra protein makes it stick a little better. I thought it was so good, I think it will be my new favorite topping for pancakes and waffles...and who knows what else. No sugar and much better for me.

So that's my new discovery for today. YOU should try it. Only YOU are probably not reading my post...so YOU will never know. :o)

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

I find some of the coolest things at garage sales...



...This is one of them. This is called the Vital Wear Vitalwrap system. I bought one a few weeks ago at a garage sale...because I have no insurance and I love things medical. (I know kind of weird...but whatever.) Well a couple of weeks later my mother had knee surgery on her meniscus and the doctors told her to get one. I already had one... She test drove it for me and loved it. A week later my knee, for some unknown reason, decided to swell and cause me problems. So when my kids left on New Years Day to spend 3 days with their dad, I decided to try it while laying in bed for 3 days reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. (I read it at Christmastime last year and really enjoyed it...I'm not much of a story book reader). Anyway...I love it. You fill the bucket with Ice and water and then place the wrap around the body part in pain. (They have different sizes for different body parts: neck, arm, back, ankle, wrist, etc.) Then you turn it on and cold water circulates through the wrap. The temperature can be adjusted so it is not too cold. It also becomes hot for heat therapy...You just have to put warm water in and it will heat it. It also provides compression. I love it. It keeps the cold right where it needs to be and you don't have to worry about leaks or it slipping if you doze off. They usually cost around $300-$600 to buy. (Most people's insurance pays for it) But I got it for $20 and I love it.

Oh...and by the way... HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Not that anyone reads my blog (because of my chronic neglect and inconsistency)...but you never know.