Drug Expiration Dates

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Some people throw things out as soon as they expire.  Others keep things years after the expiration date.  What’s the safe thing to do?  According to the Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide, the majority of drugs are still safe to use – even 15 years later, but I don’t want to test that out!  According to the Harvard Guide, “Since a law was passed in 1979, drug manufacturers are required to stamp an expiration date on their products. This is the date at which the manufacturer can still guarantee the full potency and safety of the drug.”  In my opinion, I think it would be good to talk to one’s doctor and pharmacist to make sure a particular drug is safe to use.   It’s also good to research several reliable sources.

Healthy Eating: Okra & Its Benefits

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I grew up having fresh okra from our garden every summer. Every. Single. Summer!   I learned to love fried okra at an early age, and it became one of my favorite veggies, and when I got older then I even learned to eat it stewed.  I must admit, though, that it took me quite a while to acquire a taste for stewed okra.  Once I got past the slimy texture of it, I really liked it.  Now, okra is one of my very favorite “comfort foods.” I must admit again, though, that “fried” okra is my go to veggie for comfort food, not stewed okra.  Not only is okra a favorite of mine and many other people, it also has many benefits:
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Here are just some of the health benefits contained in okra:

  • Pectin – good for the stomach, digestive system, irritable bowel syndrome, and for high cholesterol, etc.
  • Minerals – such as calcium, magnesium,  manganese, and iron
  • Vitamin A – great antioxidant, good for the immune system, stomach, skin, aids in bone formation, helps to lower cholesterol, and slows the aging process, etc. (hmmm, note to self: I need to eat this for breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
  • Vitamin C – great antioxidant, good for the immune system,  stomach, skin, adrenal glands, and aids in the production of anti-stress hormones, etc.
  • Vitamin K – good for the stomach, bone formation, may help prevent osteoporosis, etc.

That’s a lot of green goodness packed into that one vegetable!  So next time you’re choosing veggies, don’t overlook okra!

Menu Plan Monday 10/15/12

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Still haven’t made a pumpkin pie, but I do have cans of pumpkin in my kitchen cabinet, ready to go in a pie or custard.  It probably won’t be much longer til a pie is sitting on our counter!

Please remember all the homeless people in your prayers.  We try to keep a bag of non-perishable food in our car at all times so if we see someone on the corner with a sign, we’ll have food (if they’re given cash, there’s a chance they might spend it on drugs or alcohol).    Someone once asked me, “What if they’re scamming?”  My reply was, “But what if they’re not and they really need it.”   We never know how something we do for others could affect their lives.
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Here are some dessert recipes for the upcoming holiday season:

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Menu for this week:
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Monday:  Rotisserie chicken, sauteed zucchini, carrots,

Tuesday:  Leftovers from Monday

Wednesday:   Salmon Patties, salad, corn

Thursday:  Vegetarian Chili

Friday: Pizza, salad

How to be Joyful

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Philippians 4:4-7  “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!  Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

Psalm 118:24  ” This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Nehemiah 8:10  “…the joy of the Lord is your strength!”

 

“Carly’s Voice: Breaking Through Autism”

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Just got through reading Carly’s Voice by Arthur Fleischmann (Carly’s dad) with Carly Fleischmann, and I highly recommend this book if you’re wanting to learn more about autism.  Recently published, it gives another first-hand view of what it’s like to be autistic and wanting to communicate.  If you would like to know more about this insightful book, here’s a short book review.

This book, along with I Am in Here by Elizabeth M. Bonker & Virginia G. Breen and all of Temple Grandin’s books completely dispel the belief which was prominent decades ago that non-verbal autistic children should be institutionalized because they would never be able to communicate or talk, as in Grandin’s case.    Hopefully, more and more people will be educated about autism and dispel the myths which surround it.

Menu Plan Monday & Recipe for Bacon, Cheese, & Tomato Strata (Reduced-Fat)

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Keep thinking about pumpkin pie.  I may have to make one really soon!!
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If you need a recipe for a large group of people, here’s one that we used at the Ronald McDonald House when a group of us from church provided an evening meal:   Homemade Chicken Pot Pie
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Here’s another good recipe for the cool days of fall which is from my calendar, Eat Better America:
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Healthier Bacon, Cheese, and Tomato Strata

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INGREDIENTS:

  • 8 ounces French bread cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 8 ounces (2 cups) reduced-fat shredded cheese
  • 2 cups Roma tomatoes, chopped
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups low-fat milk
  • 1 teaspoon mustard  (Dijon, if you have it)
  • 1 teaspoon basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 6 slices of bacon, cooked until crisp & well drained

Grease 3-quart casserole dish.  Place bread in bottom of baking dish.  Sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups cheese (save 1/2 cup) and tomatoes.  Mix lightly.

In medium bowl, beat eggs, milk, mustard, basil, and salt.  Pour over bread mixture.  Cover tightly and put in fridge for 2 hours (but no longer than 24 hours).

Bake at 350 degrees, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Sprinkle crumbled bacon and 1/2 cup cheese on top.  Let stand 10 minutes before eating.
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Our menu for this week is much like last week’s because last week turned out to be a crazy week, and our whole menu changed except for Friday.  We’re still having healthy salad nearly every day.

Monday:  Rotisserie chicken, zucchini, yellow squash, & onion medley (didn’t have this last week after all)

Tuesday: Leftovers from Monday, salad

Wednesday: Salmon Patties, salad, corn

Thursday:  Leftovers from Wednesday, salad

Friday: Pizza, salad

Hard Times Generation – Homeless Kids

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We viewed a video at a Teacher In-service not long ago and found out that more than 16 million kids live in poverty.  There are people right around us in our school neighborhood who are having hard times such as these, and many people all over the country are, in fact, due to the economy.   People lose their jobs, they can’t make their mortgage payments, they lose their homes, and then they find themselves homeless.
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Many people (several that we know and some that we’ve heard about) have lost jobs and are either still looking for work or have taken a job for less pay and satisfaction. Here in the Metroplex, we see new stores opening but yet other stores are closing and going out of business.
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Things are not getting better in the teaching job market. A teacher I work with every day said that her husband has been applying for jobs and applied for a certain teaching job recently where there were 700 other applicants for that one position.  He is still looking for work.  Two years ago, a substitute teacher who was looking for a teaching job said there were 400 applicants for one position for which she applied.  A couple of years ago, a friend of mine who works in school administration in another district said they had over 2,000 applicants for their jobs posted.  I have relatives in other states, and it’s the same way there, too.
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Churches are really good about helping those in their surrounding areas with free food and clothing, utility payments, finding places to live, etc.  There are more and more people coming to church food pantries because they can’t find work.  Times are hard!  Some people’s situations can bring tears to your eyes.

Children’s Toiletries Safety Guide

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When it comes to our children, we want the best for them which includes not exposing them to certain ingredients.  The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has a Safety Guide to Children’s Personal Care Products that you might want to check out and compare the ingredients in toiletries you use at home with the ingredients on the list.  They have “Some Better Picks” which lets parents know about products that are safer for their children.

Cooler Weather

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Love this cooler weather we’re having.  It reminds me of being in the Rocky Mountains (wish I was there right now).  I just checked the temperature at Estes Park, Colorado, and right now it’s 26 degrees.  Brrr!!!  That means a warm jacket like the kind they have at north face womens and other places would feel good.  Add a cup of some really good hot chocolate and a warm, cozy campfire with family and friends , and that’s my kind of day.

Musicians

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As I’ve mentioned before, we have a couple of musicians in our family.  The guitar, violin, percussion instruments, keyboard, and piano are the instruments of choice.  My husband even has a good banjo in the corner of a closet.  It hasn’t been played in many years, but it’s still in good shape.  The guitar and violin are the instruments I hear on a regular basis.  When our son comes home to visit, I hear the piano, which I love hearing because that’s what I used to play.  Do you have any musicians in your family?

Menu Plan Monday 10/1/12

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Rain, rain, don’t go away!  It’s so nice to get rain for a change.  What a blessing!  Our yard is soaking it up like a dry sponge.  The weather has a hint of fall in it, and that brings thoughts of Fall Festivals and then Thanksgiving and pumpkin pie.  Yum!
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By the way, if you have to feed a large group of people (10, 20, 30, 50, or more), here’s a Homemade Chicken Pot Pie recipe that’s sure to be a crowd pleaser:
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Menu for this week.  Note lots of healthy salad!
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Monday:  Rotisserie chicken, zucchini, yellow squash, & onion medley

Tuesday:  Leftovers from Monday, salad

Wednesday: Chicken Parmesan, salad

Thursday:  Salmon Patties, salad, corn

Friday:  Pizza, salad