Author Archives: Charla

Yogurt Parfait “Dessert”

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Does this dessert look good?  It’s very healthy, packed with protein, live and active yogurt cultures, and minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium. This particular dessert was made with grass fed yogurt.  Kids might be turned off if they heard that.

Presentation is important for a “dessert” like this that’s not a traditional dessert. (too healthy).  I used one of my crystal stemmed glasses (that hasn’t been used in years) to make it seem like a fancy dessert.

I must admit that it’s probably going to taste different than it looks because it doesn’t have any added sugar, but you can add stevia for sweetness.  I think it’s good without any added sweetness, but not everyone will agree with me.  You can always substitute your favorite yogurt and/or add Stevia.

This dessert does have the natural sweetness of the organic strawberries, but the yogurt is tart and isn’t your typical sweet yogurt taste. It’s plain organic, 100% grassfed yogurt without any added sugar.  No added sugar.

Toppings can vary.  The pumpkin seeds are organic that have been roasted and lightly salted with sea salt (I like the salty taste that the seeds add to this).  You could substitute organic blueberries or raspberries instead of strawberries.  Both are yummy!  But most of the time, I prefer just the yogurt and pumpkin seeds.  There’s something about the tart and salty tastes together that I like.

I buy these products at Natural Grocers, which I frequent several times a month.  Pictured below are the brands I buy, but you could use your favorite brands.  The Maple Hill Yogurt also comes in flavors such as blueberry, maple, etc., that are sweetened.

Sometimes, I have a taste for something a little sweeter so I might add stevia.  But my favorite thing to add is a little bit of chocolate syrup.  Not just any chocolate syrup, though.  The brand below is organic.  I don’t think my grandchildren like it near as much as the regular name brand chocolate syrup, but I like it.

I’ve included the nutritional content of the organic chocolate syrup so you can check out the sugar content.  I usually just add one teaspoon to my yogurt.  The nutritional info is for two tablespoons.  Since one tablespoon equals three teaspoons, what’s listed on the label is for six teaspoons.  You can do the math and figure out how much sugar you want to add.  I plan to experiment sometime soon and make my own chocolate syrup using organic chocolate powder, vanilla, and organic stevia.

As you can see, this is a very simple non-traditional “dessert,” but it’s very healthy and loaded with nutrition.  You can use your favorite yogurt, and if you have some fancy glasses or bowls, simple yogurt can seem like something special!

Grief: A Hard Journey

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I’ve been on a journey the past five years.  It wasn’t a journey that I chose, but it’s one that came suddenly and without warning and I had no choice.  It’s the journey of deep grieving, going on with your life without someone you deeply love and care about. It’s a very hard journey where your whole world is turned completely upside down when the journey starts, and there’s absolutely no going back.

Grief must and needs to run its course. Because of this journey (and if you’ve read my past few posts which have been few and far between) then you know I’ve attempted to start blogging again.  Several times, in fact.  I don’t know what it is, but I don’t get very far and then I stop writing again.  Maybe it’s because there are things deep within me that I need to write about first, but I suppress them because they’re hard things to share.

My boss has been my gentle encourager to start blogging again.  We start the week on Mondays with prayer time and share our prayer requests.  He knows about my grief journey. I’ve poured my heart out several times.

A couple of weeks ago, my boss asked how I did it.  How did I get through this? I shared about how God has gotten me through my hardest times, how God was and is my strength, how God has given me joy in the midst of my sorrow, and about my dream and purpose for blogging and actually for life.  He said something to the effect of, “You did it.  You just told me a blog post.  You need to blog about what you just told me!”  Thank you, Ryan!

I hope to start blogging on a regular basis again.  It feels good to write this post.  I want to share with others who are going through their own grief journey.  We need each other.  We need to share what we’re going through and help each other.

If you’re reading this and it doesn’t apply to you, I hope this gives you a glimpse into what people who are grieving are experiencing.  Maybe you have a friend or relative who is on a grief journey.  Everyone grieves in their own way, but I hope to share in a future post some simple things you can do for those who are grieving.

I know there are so many people in the world going on this journey.  I’ve spoken with  friends, all who lost someone way too early.  We’ve shared about how you can’t really understand this type of deep grief until you go through it yourself.  I have a friend whose daughter (in her early thirties) died from sepsis.  She was misdiagnosed with the flu when she actually had a type of strep.  I love this saying from my friend, “Those of us on this grief journey just link arms and limp along together.”

 

 

Pictures and text on this post are copyrighted, 2018

 

Healthy Home Blog Under Construction

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I finally did it!  I have a new theme for Healthy Home Blog.  It’s just been installed so it will take a while to get everything like I want it.  Hopefully, that will not take near as long as the time it took for me to actually change the theme.  My life changed so much nearly five years ago, and I lost my interest in blogging.  My boss encouraged me to start blogging again, and I did a little bit but never followed through.  He still has it on my weekly task sheet to work on Healthy Home Blog, and that’s been a weekly reminder to start writing again, something that I used to enjoy so much.  This new theme is a step in the right direction.

The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines

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I’ve had The Magnolia Story on my fireplace hearth on the very top of my “books to read” stack.  When I started reading it this past week, I could barely put it down.  The openness and authenticity is like a breath of fresh air considering all that has been in the media recently.

Their story is a beautiful love story, full of ups and downs.  Has life given them an easy ride?  No way!  They are both very hard workers and have encountered some tough times financially and been in some tight binds.  But through it all, they held on to each other and did not let those hard times drive them apart.  If anything, they brought them closer together.  And time after time, Joanna could see God’s part in leading them to where they are today.

Before I read their book, my family surprised me with a visit to Magnolia Market.  It was as much fun as I thought it would be, maybe more.  I knew it was small, and so I wasn’t expecting this big, huge market.  But I must admit, it’s larger than I thought it would be.  When I got to the part in their book that tells how they came to be where they are today at the Silos, I could picture every bit of it.  Next time I visit, I’ll know the special story about the Silos in The Magnolia Story.  So sweet!

Joanna had a great idea and great design in the Silos Baking Co. which is a must when you visit there.  Don’t let a long line scare you off.  They have this down to a science, and the line moves very quickly considering you make your decisions on which cupcakes you want before you ever get to the counter to order them.  They have the cupcake menu on an order card and you mark your order while standing in line outside on the sidewalk.  Next time I’m there, I want to notice her attention to the interior of the bakery which she mentions in the book.

Chip and Joanna’s whole life story is in The Magnolia Story. I couldn’t help but feel like I know them in a way after reading their book.  If you’ve already read their book or if you’re planning to read it, let me know what you think.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

 

 

Pictures and text on this post are copyrighted, 2017

7 Tips for Communicating Effectively

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Do you ever get in the middle of a conversation and all of a sudden you realize communication is not happening?  I know that happened with my husband and me before.  Somehow, we stopped connecting, we weren’t listening to understand, and sometimes things were said that hurt the feelings of one of us.  Solomon, who is considered by many to be the wisest person, has great advice to help us communicate peacefully and effectively:

  • “He who holds his tongue is wise.” Proverbs 10:19 (Keeps a person from putting their foot in their mouth or hurting someone.)
  • “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Proverbs 12:18 (Harsh words can pierce someone’s heart, but wise words will bring healing to a relationship.  We can pray for words of wisdom.)
  • “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Proverbs 15:1 (A soft answer makes it easier for the listener to hear what is actually being said rather than reacting to harshness.  It helps keep defensiveness from building up walls.)
  • “A person finds joy in giving an appropriate reply, and how good is a timely word.” Proverbs 15:23 (The right words said at the right time are good, and joy can be found in it. Sometimes we need to wait for the right time to say certain things.  Timing is so important!)
  • “The wise in heart are called discerning, and pleasant words promote instruction.” Proverbs 16:21 (Want to help someone understand what you mean? Use pleasant words to get your point across.  Think of a positive way to get your meaning across.)
  • “A word appropriately spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” Proverbs 25:11 (Words that are appropriate are going to be thought out, not a just a spur of the moment reaction that will stir up anger.)
  • “A gentle tongue can break a bone.” Proverbs 25:15 (A gentle tongue is not weak. A gentle answer can accomplish a lot.)

When voices get louder, people get defensive.  When people get defensive, they stop listening and stop communicating even though they’re talking.  I love how Solomon teaches us to hold our tongues, not use reckless words but careful and thought out words, to use soft and gentle and pleasant words.  Did you notice the proverb that says, “A person finds joy in giving an appropriate reply,” and their words are timely which means a person waits until the timing is right.  Sometimes that means waiting until the next day.  It means thinking about a response ahead of time so an appropriate reply can be given.

There is so much wisdom from God in Proverbs, a book in the Bible!

How To Be Thankful Even When Life is Hard

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Have you ever felt unsettled? Things just weren’t going right or your world turned upside down? Maybe you’ve lost your job or maybe can’t find a job. Maybe you’re facing foreclosure or bankruptcy. Maybe you’ve lost someone very dear to you either suddenly or through a long illness, or maybe a loved one is suffering with an illness. Maybe you have children who have lost their way and you’re not sure where they are. Maybe a good friend has betrayed you. Maybe your health is not what it used to be. Maybe you’re experiencing depression or fear. The “maybe” list can go on and on.

Life can be hard!  During this week of Thanksgiving, how can someone be thankful when life is hard? How do you do hard and be thankful at the same time?

Being thankful is a choice and is mentioned many times in the Bible. When it says to come before the LORD with thanksgiving (Psalms 95 & 100, etc.), it doesn’t give any stipulations like “when everything is going right” or “when we ‘feel’ like we have something to be thankful for.” There is always something to be thankful for, and we might have to ask God to open our eyes to see the many blessings around us.

  • Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with  thanksgiving,  present your requests to God.   Philippians 4:6

In every situation..  Not just certain situations.  And thanksgiving goes right along with prayer.  While we are in prayer,  we can give all the hard things in life over to God and give Him our worries.  When we stop feeling like we are in control and realize that God is in ultimate control, then and only then can we stop being anxious.  Somehow that opens our hearts and eyes to see all the things we do have to be thankful for.

The Bible also tells us that we need to come before God like little children.  He is our heavenly Father, our Creator, the God who knows us.

  • He (Jesus) called a little child to him, and placed the child among them.  And he said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.   Matthew 18:2

Have you listened to the prayer of a child recently?  Have you noticed that sometimes they pray for everything, simple things, things that adults often take for granted?  God is the Creator of everything.  They are coming before God with thanksgiving for everything, no matter how simple.

Maybe these two Bible verses can help us to open our eyes, come before God as children, give Him all our worries, and truly come before Him with thanksgiving…in every situation!  When we focus on being thankful to God, our eyes are opened to the abundance of blessings we have to be thankful for… no matter how hard our life is at the time.

4 Tips to Keep Your Children Safe This Halloween

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Guest post by Charlotte from Home Safety Hub.org.  Thank you for these safety tips.

4 Tips to Keep Your Children Safe This Halloween

blog-pic-safe-halloween-10-16Photo by Antranius via Pixabay

When many people think about Halloween safety for children, they think about horrible things that bad people can do. Not a year goes by when we don’t hear tales of razor blades in candy or apples, poison, or other tampering. This year, in case you haven’t seen the news reports from around the country, there seems to be a rash of creepy clown sightings leading up to the holiday (some of which have actually posed legitimate threats), so parents and grandparents should definitely be paying special attention to the safety of their kids as they set out to trick-or-treat.

The obvious tip is to simply accompany them on their quest for candy and keep an eye on them as they go door-to-door. In actuality, it’s more likely that some type of accident will spoil your halloween than people with ill intent, so our four safety tips start there.

     1. Make Sure Your Kids Are Visible

Depending on where you live, there’s a good chance your kids will be trick-or-treating in the dark. Typically, the event begins when there’s still daylight, but this time of year, the sun is starting to go down earlier. Beware of the dark and the dangers that come with it.

The biggest danger is traffic. While drivers should be on high alert during trick-or-treat time, they may not always see kids in darkly colored costumes, especially if they’re distracted or have come from a party where alcohol was served. Make sure your kids are wearing bright colors or have something that glows or reflects on them. This could be as simple as carrying glow sticks along with their trick-or-treat bag.

     2. Make Sure the World is Visible to Them!

Just as others may have a hard time seeing your children in the dark, your children may have problems seeing as well if you don’t take precautions. Make sure their vision isn’t impaired by a mask. It’s also not a bad idea to have them carry a flashlight in case they have trouble seeing where they’re walking. They may be walking through yards and on walkways that have steps or other obstacles they could trip over. You’ll also want to make sure their costume doesn’t have pieces that can be tripped over.

     3. Make Sure They Understand Not to Go Into People’s Homes

You would advise your kids not to go into strangers’ homes any other time of the year, but the very event of trick-or-treating seems to directly contradict the old “don’t take candy from strangers” adage, and could send your child mixed messages. Some people believe it’s best to simply limit trick-or-treating to people you actually know, and that’s certainly the safest bet. In reality, many kids are going to be going all over the neighborhood trying to get their bags filled up. Chances are, you don’t know every person in every house. As I said earlier, it’s best to accompany them and keep an eye on them, but you should still make sure they understand that they should not go into anyone’s home without your permission.

     4. Make Sure Treats are Safe

Speaking of that whole “taking candy from strangers thing,” no Halloween safety list would be complete without the reminder that you must make sure the treats your children received are safe. They’ll be eager to dig in, but you need to take a few minutes to inspect candy wrappers to make sure they haven’t been tampered with. If you were given unpackaged treats, just put them right in the trash (assuming they didn’t come from someone you know personally). Your kids might take issue with this, but just explain to them why you’re doing it and that you have their best interest in mind. Besides, most kids are much more interested in candy bars than baked goods.

Those stories we hear each year about candy tampering are usually exposed as hoaxes. This stuff really doesn’t happen as often as one might assume. However, it only takes one bad experience to cause a serious problem. Choose safety!

Have a happy and safe Halloween!

How to Be an Encourager

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I think we all like to be around an encouraging person. They uplift us and motivate us. They help keep us focused on our goals or priorities in life. We need those types of people in our lives.

If you read my last post and notice the date, you’ll see that it’s been four months since then.  I truly meant to post and have an updated look.  A friend of mine, who is an encourager, noticed that I’m not posting anything on my blog and is motivating me to write.  He has mentioned it two or three times, and I know Ryan will continue to do so in a caring and uplifting way.

How does he encourage me?  How can we be encouragers?  These are some ways we can  uplift and be a blessing to others:

  • Take the time to do it.  In this busy world, most people are in a time crunch. Just say something uplifting in conversation, in an email or text message, or add it to their “to do list” and surprise them.
  • Show genuine care and concern.
  • Do it more than once.  Follow up on your encouragement and see how things are going.

So what about my new theme?  It hasn’t happened yet.  Not yet anyway.  My daughter and son are going to help me whenever we can all find the time to get together and work on it.  But I’m not going to wait on the theme update anymore.  The content is what’s more important…and having an encouraging friend to keep me accountable on my goal to blog again.

Healthy Home Blog’s New Look

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Hi! I haven’t posted in a long time and hardly anything since September 2013.  Sometimes our lives are turned completely upside down and our hearts are completely broken.  But after the healing, we can look back with hearts full of sweet memories and get on with our life.

Just want you to know that I’m back again and Healthy Home Blog will hopefully have a new look this month.  My blog is about home, happiness in life, and healthy habits for body, mind, and spirit.  I’d love to share my experiences with you in this journey we’re all making together.  I’d love for you to share your experiences with me, too.

I would be honored if you would subscribe to my blog so we can share the journey!  The Subscribe box is on my home page.  Also, check out my updated About page.  Thanks!

Hope you have a day that is blessed with sweet memories in the making.

Memories

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Potpourri can be made from fresh flowers and can be especially meaningful if the flowers were from something that touched your heart.  Just let the flowers dry for several days and then place in a pretty bowl, maybe a crystal bowl.  If you have a bowl that you really like, maybe one that was your mother’s or your grandmother’s, then that is perfect for displaying your potpourri in a doubly meaningful way.

The dried flowers pictured below are special to me, given to us when I lost my husband.  The bowl is special, too, given to me by my son-in-law’s mother on my 50th birthday.  So when I look at this, I remember my husband.  I remember my surprise 50th birthday party which was such a happy time, and the flowers remind me of all the love and support that was shown to me when I lost my husband.  Lots of sweet memories!

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Mediterranean Cuisine

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Have you been to a Mediterranean Restaurant?  I went with two teacher friends this past week, and one friend and I had no idea what to order.   I don’t know much about Mediterranean foods except for the fact that it’s very healthy and that hummus and olive oil are a part of it, but our other friend knew what’s really good.  We ended up ordering soup & salad:  Fatoush Salad & Fasoolia Bean Soup, and they were sooo good!

We also shared a large appetizer tray which had things like hummus (which I’ve already had many times), and baba ganoush, falafel, feta cheese with olive oil, and a couple of dips.  We had a lot of fun trying everything, and I don’t think there was anything we didn’t like.  I give it a thumbs up! I must admit I brought home one of their paper menus so I could tell people what I had eaten.  Otherwise, I would’ve just said, “Mediterranean food.”  Now, I want to research how to incorporate more of this healthy diet into our meal plan.

Movie Review: Gimme Shelter

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We went to see Gimme Shelter last night, and my friends and I really, really liked it! Well, maybe they just really liked it but I really, really liked it.  It’s a story that can’t help but touch your heart about a 16 year old girl who finds herself expecting a baby, has an abusive mother, and decides to run away from home.  She finds shelter in a home for young girls who are expecting babies.  I won’t give any more details for those of you who plan to see the movie, but it’s a story of healing and reconciliation.  If you like that type of movie then I highly recommend it.  It’s a good family movie for families with older teens.