Author Archives: Charla

Joy that is Real

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Have you ever noticed that the joy found in this world doesn’t last indefinitely? It can be here today and gone tomorrow. I have definitely experienced this and have found over and over that the only true joy that is never fleeting is the joy found in Jesus. It’s so amazing to me that God gave us the most precious gift of all time by sending his one and only Son to earth in the form of a precious baby, born of a virgin. Truly a miraculous birth! And through his birth, life, death, and resurrection, there is hope for now but not just for now…for all eternity. That is so comforting to me. He died for my sins and took my place. What great love and sacrifice, actually the most wonderful love story ever! His love is never ending and He will never leave me or forsake me. That fills me with great joy when I truly comprehend the meaning of that.

Just think, Jesus knows what it’s like to be both the Son of God and human like us. He is holy and pure and He never sinned while he was on this earth, but he understands what it’s like to be a man. Satan tempted him but Jesus never gave in and always responded back to Satan with scripture from God’s Word, the Bible. So when Satan tempts me with fear, worry, or despair, I try to respond back with scripture too. I wish I did it all the time but I don’t. But I am getting better at it.

Jesus understands these hard days of the pandemic. He experienced a lot during his 33 years on earth. He’s the source of true joy yesterday, today, and forever! He always has been the source since his birth, and actually has been for those hearing prophecy about his coming and looking forward to it with the greatest of hopes. He definitely is my true joy today without a doubt, and He always will be.

My kids gave me a plaque that I have on my fireplace mantle. It says, “Don’t worry about tomorrow, God is already there.”  A plaque could also say don’t worry about losing true joy because it will be there tomorrow.

 

Book Review: “Carly’s Voice” & Autism Tips

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Carly’s Voice:  Breaking Though Autism

by Arthur Fleischmann with Carly Fleischmann

I highly recommend this book to anyone who works with children or adults with non-verbal autism and to anyone who would like to have a better understanding.  My friend, who has a granddaughter with this type of autism, recommended this book to me.  I’m so glad she did!  It gives insights into non-verbal autism in a way that a therapist or doctor cannot do, through the “voice” of Carly.  The book begins with Carly’s early years, her struggles with her severe autism, and the struggles of her family.  But with undying persistence for many years, Carly was finally able to communicate through typing her responses at age ten.

If you read the book, be sure to read “A Conversation with Carly:  The Truths and Myths About Autism” at the very end of the book.  But don’t read it until you’ve read the whole story so that you have insight into Carly’s personality and character.  Through reading the book, the reader gets a better understanding of just how hard it is to overcome the difficulties that accompany autism and also gets a glimpse into the day-to-day life, year-after-year.

Here are some tips that Carly gives, along with my opinions, that are useful to me in the classroom:

  • Medications can cause mood changes for no reason.  This could result in crying or feeling angry.
  • Carly was around nine years old when she was able to “audio filter” all the sounds around her.  She took in many sounds at once, some sounds that most people couldn’t hear, some sounds being louder than others.  (headphones are helpful for some to do audio filtering in the classroom )
  • Make sure kids with autism are around words all the time so they can develop their ability to spell. (label everything you can in the classroom)  Work on simple words at first.  They just need someone to give them a push and encourage them.
  • Even when it may appear they are not paying attention, they usually are.  They are looking at things all the time, and they are probably looking out of the corner of their eyes.
  • In the very early years, use pictures to help communication.
  • It takes a lot of concentration to be able to type words.
  • Carly said, “Flapping and humming and rocking does not calm me down(.) it helps me cope with stuff around me.”  All the sensory input can be overwhelming to those with autism – sensory overload.
  • Some, like Carly, have a photographic memory that allows them to memorize a page of a book in seconds.
  • Here’s insight to what it feels like for some like Carly:  “…you don’t know what it’s like to be me.  You don’t (know) what it feels like when you can’t sit still because your legs feel like they are on fire or it feels like a hundred ants are crawling up your arms.  How can you help me when you don’t know?”
  • Carly said once, “I act up because I feel so trapped inside myself.”
  • “When I look at someone I take over a thousand images of that person’s face in less than a minute.  The more I look…the more pictures I take…my brain…gets full.  I am no longer able to process…and I am forced to turn away.”  (Carly’s experience)
  • Many with non-verbal autism have an inner voice but don’t know how to express themselves.  Don’t give up on them!
  • You can visit Carly on Facebook @ Carly Fleischmann.  

Teaching Kids to Wash Their Hands

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It’s hard to teach kids how to wash their hands correctly. Some want to skip the soap. Some want to just wet their hands and then they’re finished. Having taught school before, I know that some even turn the water on just to make you think they washed their hands, when in fact, they didn’t even get their hands wet!

One thing that really helped to motivate my students to wash correctly were these cute videos. Some would even sing one of the songs while washing their hands.

VIDEOS:

“Wash My Hands Song” | Teach Children Hand Washing, Toddler Learning Video, Baby Song, Nursery Rhyme

Germ Smart – Wash Your Hands  Our students loved this video!

Hand Washing with Soapy the Germinator

Children’s pack Animation – Wash Your Hands (with sign language)

Germs, Germs, Germs

Hand Washing for Kids – Get Rid of Germs Learn How to Wash Your Hands

Germ Smart Kids – How To Wash Your Hands

If your kids are like the ones in my class, they will pick out one or two of the songs that they really like and that will stick with them. Demonstrate to your kids how to wash hands properly while singing part of a song.

Here’s how to wash hands thoroughly. Wet hands and apply soap. Hands need to be washed for at least 15-20 seconds. Rub hands together to clean the top of the hands and in between fingers.  Rub palms together to clean the other side and in between fingers again. Rub finger tips on palms of hand, alternating hands. Then cup your fingers around your thumb to clean, then alternate to the other hand. Rinse well and dry on a towel.

This is such an important skill for our children to learn.  Try to make it fun. Watch the videos, sing songs while washing hands, and maybe have an incentive chart. The chart doesn’t have to be anything elaborate. You can use a calendar that you already have or you can print a free one online.  You can also draw your own.  The main thing is to have a square for each day. If they do a good job of washing their hands that day then they can get a sticker to put on their chart.  Or you can draw a smiley face or something they can relate to on the daily square. Decide on a reward for a certain number of stickers/happy faces.

Make sure the reward is something they like and remember:

  • Make it fun.
  • Keep it positive.

Set a good example by washing your hands properly. Use your imagination and you might come up with some other fun activities and incentives to add to these. The old saying is true, practice makes perfect. It may take a lot of practice with some but it’s worth the patience it may take. Stay healthy, everyone!!

Can’t Tolerate Acid in Coffee?

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Can’t tolerate the acid in coffee anymore? That’s my predicament! I still love the smell of coffee, though. I was thrilled when I was introduced to this tea that tastes like coffee. It really does! So grab your favorite mug (pictured are two of my favorite mugs, one from Ruidoso and one from my grandchildren) and give it a try, even if you still drink coffee sometimes. Hope you like it as much as I do!

Coconut Flour Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips

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I’ve been cooking so much since this Pandemic started. Does that sound familiar? I’ve heard that from other people too. I haven’t baked this much in ages either. I decided though, after the first month, that I needed to focus on healthy treats and sweets.

The internet is a great source of recipes. And after having over-ripe bananas several times, I decided to bake banana bread. I’ve heard from other people that they’ve been baking a lot of banana bread too.  I wanted something gluten-free, though, because gluten can cause an inflammatory response. I know it does with me if I eat very much.

In my search for a good gluten free recipe, I came across one using coconut flour. I tried it and thought it was delicious. However, when I counted up the fat grams in the loaf, I thought WOW! That’s a lot of fat no matter how healthy the fat. So I tweaked the recipe and substituted 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce for 1/2 cup of the fat. It worked fine!

I kept tweaking the recipe. I wanted to increase the protein in it so it would be a complete breakfast in one large slice of banana bread. It already had three eggs but I upped it to four large eggs which made 24 grams of protein. I also added a scoop of organic whey protein powder, which added 20 grams of protein, plus a tablespoon of almond milk to add more moisture. The almond butter added protein as well.

So here’s my recipe. It’s gluten-free, high protein, lower fat, no added sugar if you don’t count the chocolate chips (ha ha), and has a good amount of fiber which makes it filling. You mix it up in one pan which is awesome for easy clean up. You don’t need a mixer. This is SO easy!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. I line my loaf pan with parchment paper or you can grease the pan if you prefer. Put the bananas in a large bowl and mash them with a fork. Add the wet ingredients and mix together. It’s okay if there are a few small lumps. Add the dry ingredients and mix well but do not overmix. Then last, add the chocolate chips. (You can tell I almost forgot the chocolate chips. I just placed them on top.)

Bake for 40-45 minutes. Enjoy!

WET INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 cup minimum of mashed ripe bananas (or two small-medium bananas)
  • 4 large eggs (I use organic, pasture raised)
  • 1/4 – 1/3 cup almond butter
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (I keep the single serving, lunchbox sizes on hand. One of those is 1/2 cup applesauce. Perfect!  Again, I use organic.)
  • 1 tablespoon Coconut Oil (I use organic. You can use butter if you don’t have coconut oil. The original recipe called for 1/2 cup of coconut oil and no applesauce.)
  • 1 tablespoon Almond Milk (Leave this out if you don’t add whey protein powder to this recipe.  I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla (Make sure you buy 100% vanilla. It’s so worth it! I don’t wash the measuring spoon until later that day because I keep smelling the vanilla scent left on the spoon. So relaxing!)

DRY INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/2 Coconut Flour (I use organic)
  • 1 scoop of Whey Protein Powder (Optional. I use organic – mine has a very light vanilla flavor)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Store in an airtight container. It will last four days on the counter (unless eaten sooner than that).

Enjoy! ~ Charla

 

 

Finding Peace in Troubled Times

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I cried this morning during my prayer time. I cried yesterday morning, too. This morning, the enormity of all the people suffering in the world right now was overwhelming to me. Yesterday, I read an article about a dad opening an empty refrigerator trying to find food for his hungry 11 year old. It made me think what if that was either of my grandsons who are around that age. There are way too many hungry people right now because of job loss. And there are other stories out there that bring tears to my eyes as well. It’s just. too. much.

I don’t have answers. I don’t know why. But I do know we live in a broken world. I know there are things in the heavenly realms we know nothing about. (If you’re not familiar with the Bible, there’s a book called Ephesians that has six chapters. The sixth chapter talks about the spiritual world.)

So, what do I do in all this mess? These are things that have helped me a lot:

  • Take one day at a time! (the Bible talks about doing that)
  • Count my blessings! Don’t take anything for granted! (the Bible talks about this)
  • Look for ways every week that I can help others! (the Bible talks about this)
  • Trust God and give him all my worries, problems, fears, concerns! (God tells me in the Bible over and over again to trust Him and not to fear. He’s never let me down!)
  • Trust that God is in the midst of all that’s going on, working and helping in ways that I don’t know about.

I do better some days than others, but overall, I’m doing so much better than the first few weeks of the pandemic. Faith over fear is what I tell myself.

I found a song on YouTube recently that I love. It’s one of the things that helps calm my soul if I’m feeling anxiety start to creep up. The name of the song is simple. Here’s the link for  “Peace.”  I feel peaceful every time after I listen to it.

~ Charla

 

Pictures and text on this post are protected by copyright 2020

Easy Salmon Chowder

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What’s your view on salmon?  I really like to eat salmon several times a month.  It’s loaded with all sorts of good things to help strengthen our bones and to help reduce inflammation.  (Some researchers say inflammation is the root of all disease.  I do know it’s not good for our bodies.)

It’s been cold this week and I’ve been in the mood for salmon and for soup, so I threw some things in a pot and kept tweaking and adding things.  This is what I came up with, and I think it’s yummy.  I didn’t measure anything so the recipe is going to be estimations.  From start to finish was less than 30 minutes and it might could be made in 20 minutes, if necessary.

This is my go-to salmon in a can, Raincoast Wild Pink Salmon.  It’s not farm raised and it comes from the Pacific Northwest. Honey Boy Pink Salmon is good too. It’s wild and comes from Alaska where the ocean waters are cleaner.

INGREDIENTS:

This recipe is for one serving.  Multiply ingredients by number of servings.  If you don’t use organics, then substitute with what you do use.

  • 1 cup Pacific Chicken Bone Broth, organic
  • 1/2 cup sliced carrots, organic
  • 1 stalk of celery thinly sliced, organic (optional)
  • 1/2 cup Pacific Cream of Chicken Condensed Soup, organic
  • 1 can of Wild Pink Salmon, 5-7 oz. can
  • 1/2 cup canned peas, organic (or frozen)
  • 1/2 cup frozen corn, organic
  • 1/2 teaspoon rosemary, organic
  • 1/2 cup almond milk (Optional, if not used then substitute with 1/2 cup of broth)
  • 1-2 cups fresh salad greens, organic
  • salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

  • Pour broth into a saucepan and put on medium heat.  Add sliced carrots and sliced celery.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium low and cook for 5-10 minutes.
  • Add cream of chicken soup, salmon, peas, corn, and rosemary.  Mix together. Then add salad greens on top.  Simmer for 5 minutes and stir salad greens into chowder as they wilt.
  • Add almond milk and heat for a couple of more minutes or until heated thoroughly.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

You can tweak this recipe to make it creamier by adding more of the cream of chicken soup.  Leave out any veggies you don’t like.  Chopped onions would be good to add with the carrots and celery.

Hope you like this salmon chowder and feel good from eating all the healthy ingredients.  Enjoy!

I was not compensated in any way for this post. This is a recipe I really enjoyed on a cold day, and I just wanted to share it with y’all!

 

 

Pictures and text on this post are protected by copyright 2019

Bone Health: Organic Black Eyed Peas with “Snaps”

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Black eyed peas are so healthy and yummy.  I’m usually wanting something fast and easy, though, when I’m busy with work and family.  Most of the time, there’s probably not time to shell peas and wait until they cook. Or I’m tired and want something easy.  Having a can of healthy veggies to open and eat is my version of healthy fast food.

Per half cup, these canned black eyed peas provide 6 g of protein, 4 g of fiber, and other great nutrients such as calcium, potassium, B1, B2, folate, phosphorus, magnesium, and zinc.  Half a cup only has 1 g of fat, 25 mg of sodium, and 16 g of carbs.

Eden is the brand of peas I always buy.  Eden soaks their beans and peas which is important.  Years ago, people always soaked peas and beans.  Soaking helps to break down phytic acid (also called an anti-nutrient) which can bind to calcium and slow its absorption.  This soaking process also helps digestion and the gut.

I grew up with my mom cooking fresh black eyed peas straight from our garden.  I have many sweet memories of her shelling peas.  Sometimes, I would help her.  She would usually leave “snaps,” the part that looks like little green beans, in the peas.  That’s my favorite way to eat black eyed peas…with the snaps.  So I add a can of organic green beans.  It’s my easy version of having snaps.

I season the black eyed peas with organic extra virgin olive oil and a little bit of freshly ground pepper.  What would really make this delish is to have a piece of corn bread baked in a black iron skillet the way my mother use to fix it!  That’s the best!  Again, if I’m wanting something fast, organic tortilla chips is the next best thing to cornbread. (always buy organic corn products but that’s another post)

 

Pictures and text on this post are protected by copyright 2019

Taco Turkey Stew

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This recipe satisfies my taste for a taco and for a warm stew simultaneously.  It’s a great dish for a cold day or just for a day when I want something spicy. There are a variety of ways to fix this.  It can be low-carb or carbs can be raised up a notch by adding beans.  Chips are optional, and that’s why I made this as a “stew” which could easily be low-carb or not if you want to add beans, chips, taco shells, or tortillas.

Here it is without the beans, red bell pepper, and with zucchini instead of yellow squash:

I use organic products as much as I can to limit the amount of GMO and pesticides in my food.  You can substitute whatever you normally use.

INGREDIENTS:

  • Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 organic red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 lb. ground turkey
  • 1 packet Bearitos Taco Seasoning (from Natural Grocers)
  • 1 1/2 cups of water
  • 1 teaspoon Simply Organic Smoked Paprika
  • 1 organic yellow squash or zucchini (or both), chopped
  • Salt & pepper
  • Avocado, chopped
  • Plain organic, pasture-raised yogurt or sour cream (Optional)

Directions:

    • Saute chopped onion in olive oil for 5-10 minutes in a large skillet
    • Add red bell pepper and saute for another 5-10 minutes
    • Add ground turkey and cook, breaking it apart until crumbly
    • After turkey is cooked, add taco seasoning packet and 1 1/2 cups of water and mix well
    • Add chopped squash and cover the skillet.  Cook for 5-10 minutes until squash is barely tender
    • For a creamer sauce, mix in plain yogurt or sour cream and serve
    • Top with salt & pepper to taste, more smoked paprika (I like lots), and chopped avocado

I was not compensated for this post in any way. Just a yummy, healthy recipe I wanted to share!

Hope you enjoy this recipe!

 

 

Pictures and text on this post are copyrighted, 2019

Book Giveaway: The 5 Love Languages by Dr. Gary Chapman

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This book, on the New York Times bestseller list, has sold over 11 million copies to date and has been translated into over 40 languages.  Written by Dr. Gary Chapman, it has helped good marriages become better, and it has helped heal marriages with the rebirth of love the couple thought was gone forever.

Here’s the scoop:

Update:  This giveaway is closed as of 2/21/19.  Congratulations to Jasmin and Peggy, the two winners of the giveaway!

WIN IT:

Two winners will receive The Five Love Languages.  This Giveaway runs from 2-9-19 until midnight CST 2-21-19, and it’s open to all U.S. residents.  I will pay shipping charges.

MANDATORY ENTRY:
Leave a comment on my blog post.   (Be sure and leave an email address when it asks for one so I can contact you if you win.)

BONUS ENTRIES:
Please leave a separate comment for each of the entries below:

  • “Like” Healthy Home Blog on Facebook (1 extra entry) (also leave a comment if you already follow me)
  • Follow me on Twitter (1 extra entry) (also leave a comment if you already follow me)
  • Subscribe to Healthy Home Blog on my sidebar (1 extra entry) (also leave a comment if you already subscribe)

* Note: I was not compensated in any way for this. I am providing the books and shipping charges for this giveaway.

For anyone interested, Gary Chapman has also written several different “5 Love Languages” books including one for children and one for teenagers.

How to Shop at Dirt Cheap

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My daughter, Christi (aka the Frugal Novice), and I went to Dirt Cheap this week.  Honestly, I had been there before by myself, and I walked through quickly and thought what a junky store.  I didn’t find anything I wanted.

Christi and hubby have found some really great bargains there on quality merchandise, so I went again with her and she showed me how to shop.  We started on one side of the store and walked up and down every aisle.  We glanced quickly but thoroughly on every shelf, and I found several bargains this week.  I was excited!

See the dimmable LED lantern above?  Christi and Brian have two of these that they bought at Target a year ago, and I thought they were cool.  Well, I found one just exactly like it for $5 this week.

There was a stubborn area of sticker residue that was hard to get off.  Simple solution!  Put a blob of peanut butter and let it set for several hours.  Works great!  So, word of warning.  Their price stickers are hard to get off.

The lantern was a good deal but not as good as the next two fantastic bargains I found.  I use a Vicks Warm Mist Vaporizer in my bedroom during the winter season when mountain cedar is going crazy.  It keeps any congestion from allergies loose and helps me avoid a sinus infection.  I just bought one this week for $15 but after finding two at Dirt Cheap for $1.70 each, I’m definitely returning the $15 one. (It hasn’t been opened and I still have the receipt.)  And yes, you read that correctly.  They were $1.70 each!  The boxes were damaged, but we checked and the vaporizers are in perfect condition.

The last absolutely unbelievable bargain was finding Old Navy puffer jackets for $5 each.  Christi looked them up on her phone and they were originally $60.  I bought two to donate to people who need a coat.

Thanks to Christi showing me how to shop there, I think we might be going on a regular basis to hunt for bargains.  I forgot to mention that Christi found a cute Gap vest for $5!  I realize we won’t always find deals like we did this week, but hey.  It’s worth going a few times to find such amazing bargains!

Pumpkin Spice Cheerio Krispies

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Do you like recipes you can make in five to ten minutes?  I do!  I used to make desserts from scratch that took a lot of time to make.  Haven’t made any of those in years.

My daughter-i-l needed to make a quick dessert to take somewhere, and I was at their house, holding their baby after dinner.  I played with my granddaughter just a few minutes and then went into the kitchen.  My daughter-i-l made this yummy dessert in the few minutes I was playing with the baby!  I think I must have said, “Wow!”

Here’s the recipe for this absolutely yummy dessert.  I like it better than Rice Krispie Treats because it’s not quite as sweet tasting plus it has a lot of flavor.  And I think the Cheerios have more nutritional value than Rice Krispies.  Just saying!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 Tablespoons butter
  • 10 ounces Pumpkin Spice Marshmallows
  • 6 cups Pumpkin Spice Cheerios

Melt butter over low heat and add marshmallows.  Stir until completely melted and mixed together.  Take off the burner and add Cheerios, one cup at a time.  Stir until mixed well.  Spread mixture onto waxed paper or parchment paper, or spread in a pan that has been well buttered.  Let cool and then cut into squares.

MICROWAVE INSTRUCTIONS:

Melt butter and marshmallows in large, microwave-safe bowl for three minutes, stirring after one minute intervals.  Stir well.  Add Cheerios and mix well.  Spread onto waxed paper, parchment paper, or spread in a pan that has been well buttered. Cool and then cut into squares.