Be Thou My Vision

:ten things:

Ten things that are giving me joy right now...

My eclectic stitching projects

My new raised bed made with rocks dug up from the irrigation line.

Our baby zucchini's

Sweet peas everywhere.

Thimble berries to eat.

A brand new hoola hoop to tone up with.

Some more basil plants Handsome bought me to replace the ones that didn't make it.

Sprouts on the windowsill ready to eat for lunch.

I found the perfect spot for my Rabbit Fern. ( I have only two small north facing windows so I need to be creative.)

Some raspberries to harvest.

Seeing Red

( Noah 2 yrs ago when he was 11 yrs old)

It is the beginning of raspberry picking season. And that means less leisure time in the morning and I need to get out and pick before the day starts to warm up. I wish I could really show the size of this raspberry patch. Just on one side ( to pick both sides of it) in full season takes me two hours. What will I do with all these raspberries? We will eat fresh ( two berries in the bucket and one in the mouth rule [o= ) , make jam and make rhubarb raspberry juice. ( to drink, share and sell at fairs) I need to remember that this is a perfect time to get some prayer time in while enjoying the bird songs, cool mornings, and serene surroundings.

Freezing or Drying Your Herb Bounty

I am happy to say that tomorrow the back hoe will come back and ALL the trenches that are dug up to lay down the irrigation lines is going to be filled. That will make working in the garden and getting around the homestead sooooooo much easier. ((happy dance)) Now, for "how to freeze or dry your herbs bounty". [o=

It's that time a year when you can preserve your herbs from the garden, excess of friends gardens, or deals you get at the farmers market or grocery store. Here are some neat videos I found to demonstrate different ways to preserve your bounty.

Here I am drying mint, oregano ( hiding in the left side of the picture) and carrot tops for the winter.

But I also have one other way I like to freeze herbs that I would like to share. I couldn't find a video to demonstrate to you which I have been using for years. I like to take my cilantro, basil, parsely or dill ( for example) and I rinse them and flash freeze them by throwing them in a freezer bag and squish all the air out and quickly zip up the freezer bag and toss into the freezer. That way all throughout the winter you can pull your herb bag out and cut off what ever amount you need and use it as fresh herbs.

Make sure to watch both videos because they show different information.

I love watching the Garden Girl videos. [o=

I am joining my sweet friend Lori in...

Tightwad Tuesday ~ Learning How To Mend My Clothes

I am finally going to get my Tightwad Tuesday up and going again. This time I won't be hosting a carnival or aka meme. I will be posting my frugal tips on Tuesdays like the old days but if you have a tip and want to share please leave a comment and your URL to your post and share it with us all.

With raising a family of four boys and a hubby ( and I) always on the go I am in the need of making what we have, for example clothes, go as far as we can. I thought I would pass on some of the neat tutorial videos I have found recently and maybe it will inspire you as much as it did me. Happy stitching. [o=

***For week spots, anywhere from collars, shoulders where purses wear your sweaters thin, also under arms on sweaters and where socks have been snagged.

There are more sock darning HERE if you want to see more.

I am joining my friend Jasmine in ....

July Garden Mosaic

Learning Portion Control With The Plate Method

I am happy and amazed (and a bit embarrassed ) that I am finally learning food portions. I had become a fitness specialist when I was 19 yrs old ( 23 years ago) but the program sadly didn't really go into nutrition. When I was young I could wing it and I was fine with how I ate but 7 years ago my metabolism started to slow down I started to put on the weight. Sadly in the last 7 years I had gained 40 pounds. I had tried changing the types of food I ate and I was exercising and... nothing changed. Until, I started the Maker's Diet and I started to see the foods I was eating and "how much" grains and potatoes I was eating. In phase 2 of the Maker's Diet I now have been able to eat sweet potatoes and more variety of beans in this last week. And in a week and a half I start adding grains and a bit of other foods back to my diet. I now have a reality check in what is a good portion in foods and thought I would pass this on to anyone who wants it. This way you all don't have to go through all the searching I did. [o= I hope it blesses you.

Here is a before picture.

I plan to give a update picture of what I look like in a week and a half.

I am soooooooooo happy to say I now have lost....

The Plate Method of Serving

Basic Portion Control

Everywhere I go....

Thank you Lord for being our Father in Heaven and I will try to take time to look for you in ALL circumstances and in places I go.

Coming to a End (of Putting in the Water System)

Right now, I am...

::amazed that we are coming to a end of putting in the water system. In the next couple of days we will have the irrigation done. (((HAPPY DANCE)))

:: feeling thankful the Lord provided a way for the irrigation to come together this year. Hubby and I stood back and just let the Lord provide a way . Thank you Lord!

:: enjoying the idea of not having to fill up buckets, juggle water usage for three houses, and water freezing in the winter.

:: loving that the sun has finally decided to come visit us up here in British Columbia.

:: appreciating the clean free flowing water.

:: remembering - what it was like hauling buckets and heating up water just to wash dishes. You appreciate indoor plumbing like never before.

(We didn't have to do this all the time. But there were periods of it from time to time.)

:: thinking that I really need to solidify my books for this coming school year and get lesson plans going.

:: enjoying

all the fresh veggies and fruit that is season. I have been able to eat cherries and strawberries with no allergy reactions, ohhhh so nice.

:: thankful that we start phase II of the Maker's Diet today. And so thankful I can have apples and melons now. [o= (I really missed apples.)

:: embracing my new way of eating.

:: went out and bought Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and can't wait to try some recipes. (Jordan Rubin had some of her recipes in the Maker's Diet book)

:: knowing that I am FINALLY on the right track nutritionally.

::rejoicing that I have

kept off my 6 lbs and...

::hoping to figure out food portions and keep loosing the weight.

:: planning to get walking today. I took a few days break of Walking Away The Pounds and ...

:: wanting to get back to burning off calories.

What am I eating now days?

These taste soooooooooooooo GOOD !

I am sooooooooo proud to say I made my first gluten free raw chips made with Chia seeds and flax seeds and all kinds of herbs and veggies. Check how to do it with this video

Part II of Chia seed and flax seed crackers

Part III ...How to dehydrated the crackers

Chia and Flax Seed Crackers Recipe

***************

*( for half a batch if you are using a regular size blender. You can double it if you have a high powered blender like Vitamix or Blendtec.)

*You will also need a dehydrator to make the recipe.

1/3 cup of flax seeds .... soak in 1 cup of filtered water over night

1/4 cup of chia seeds ( black is just fine)...soak in 2 1/2 cups of filtered water over night

1 cup of celery rough cut

1/2 lime removed from skin

1/4 tsp to 1 tsp of Celtic salt ( What is and why use Celtic Salt)

10 cloves of garlic ( remove the middle sprout to avoid the bad breath syndrome)

1 med. onion roughly cut

1/4 tsp of chipolata or some kind of spicy powder.

( I used a home blend of Cajun spices. If I remember it right I increased it to 1/2 tsp., play with it and taste it before you make it into crackers.)

1 Tablespoon or more of oregano dried or fresh

Handful of fresh Parsley

Handful of basil ...both chopped

I used 1 Red Bell Pepper instead of tomatoes but you can actually add both and is is amazing.

Mix all ingredients in vita-mixer. Start slow and bring it up slowly. Blend for 30 seconds or so. Drop by tablespoonfuls on sheet (4 across). They will look high but they thin out as they dehydrate. Temperature 105*F to 110*F ( ...no higher otherwise the enzymes die.)

Turn them after 14 hours, I had also sprinkled flax seeds on them before dehydrating them. YUM !

***After I had turned them I think I dried them a another couple of hours. I would say that it took about 16 hours to totally dry them.

Here are a couple very informative videos I really recommend to watch....

Later today I am also going to be giving my favorite right now ...summer lentil salad recipe over at " eating the Master's way" blog. Hope to see you there.

My Birthday Present and my WIP's ( works in progress)

my update picture of my Psalms 23 x-stitch and my pair of socks. Trying to get the socks done so I can start my cowl. [o=

I have been toying around with picking out my birthday gift from my men. Yes, they gave me a budget and I get to pick. [o= At first I thought I would order a skirt...then I thought to myself I have enough for now. Then I thought about asking for a food processor...then I thought about how much we have been using our blender and I can make do with it for now.

And when "someone" knocked off the skein twice ( which it was hanging on a chair) and it got TANGLED up... and I felt like coming unglued. I thought I might REALLY want this..... ( and it is on sale right now until the 15th!)

I also now have a soaking corner...

I am soaking almonds to make raw almond butter for the boys. I am soaking chia seeds and flax seeds to make crackers. ( will update you how they turn out) And I am also soaking more lentils for my favorite lentil salad. ( will update you with a recipe later)

Something New On The Needles and First Harvest of Oregano

A little bit ago I shared a picture of the yarn I received for my birthday. The two skeins of grey and orange I couldn't find anything in my wardrobe to match it so I exchanged for a different skein. ( I was told right off the bat when I opened the gift bag that if there was any colours that didn't suit me I could exchange it for something that would) I can't wait till I make this into a cowl. Go HERE for pattern.

( photo credit to ravelry.com)

I was able to harvest this x's 5 drying in my kitchen today. [o=

I posted about some really yummy Chia seed puddings at Eating The Master's Way blog. I hoped to see you there. Let us know you came by. [o=

Believe me the only thing I have done different is eating no potatoes and starches and following the food guidelines to phase 1 of the Makers Diet. Plus praying the morning and evening prayers he gives as a guideline. The Lord is healing my body! I am noticing also that some of my sores (like acne) are healing very fast. I am being blessed beyond my hopes and desires, PTL I when I am praying for the Lord to heal every cell of my body...HE is. ((Happy Dance))

Eating the Master's Way

I am happy to say that and I am feeling good. ( weight loss blinkies... go HERE) My body has been stuck at 165 lbs for a long time and never budges. I am praying that my body will release the pounds once and for all and my metabolism gets a jump start. I know once I get to phase three that will be the true test of all this, to be able to keep off the pounds I do loose. My friend "today" and I have opened up a health blog called ...eating the Master's way and I have a link on the top left side bar. If you would like to come visit us in our 40 day health journey and beyond we would be so blessed. If you join in please let us know and we can pray for you. We will share what we are learning and a honesty of how we are doing. We are using the book Maker's Diet Jordan S. Rubin and I love it. I was a fitness specialist back in my early 20's and this seems very well thought out and safe program, plus Jordan Rubin is a Doctor too. I love how he addresses so many health issues with diet/way of eating and natural supplements.

I am going to being blogging about my 40 day journey over at eating the Master's Way ( I am going to try (...no promises) to post daily over there) and then I will blog about everything else here at Mary's Little Corner. I hope you let me know you stopped by and may you be blessed in each space.

Day 2 and 3 of " 40 Day Health Experience" & Benefits of Chia Seeds

Day three breakfast and lunch is pretty much the same. I made a sweet pepper, onion, and saute'd greens omelet with Chia seeds sprinkled on top with Earl Grey Green tea to drink.

For lunch I made again my creative creation again. It is alfalfa sprouts, canned salmon, sweet peppers and with a bit of (altered) Easy Peasy Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Recipe from Lisa@Happy In Dole Valley Blog. Instead of using buttermilk I used goat yogurt. My second ds is allergic to cow products so this was our solution and it worked.

I think the biggest reason I am not feeling so hungry is because I have been using Chia seeds sprinkled on each meal. They make you feel full and without all the calories and carbs. ((happy dance))

( image credit google search)

Benefits of Chia Seeds ( info found HERE)...

1. Lose Weight Without Starving

The Chia Seed is a dieter’s dream come true. The tiny, healthy seeds can be made to taste like whatever you want, and their unique gelling action keeps you feeling full for hours. Hunger is a main enemy of real weight loss, and you don’t want to fight it with jittery expensive pills. When a chia seed

is exposed to water, it forms a coating of gel, increasing its size and weight. Since the gel made of water, it has no calories. It’s also difficult to remove from the seed, meaning that it helps your body think it is full, without adding calories!

2. Balance Blood Sugar

Keeping balanced levels of blood sugar is important for both health and energy. Blood sugar may spike after meals, especially if you eat high-starchy foods or sweets. This can lead to ‘slumps’ in your day where you feel tired and out of energy. By balancing your blood sugar, you not only lower your risk for type 2 diabetes, but you also ensure steady, constant energy throughout your day.

But how does the Chia Seed help with this? Both the gelling action of the seed, and it’s unique combination of soluble and insoluble fiber combine to slow down your body’s conversion of starches into sugars. If you eat chia with a meal, it will help you turn your food into constant, steady energy rather than a series of ups and downs that wear you out.

3. Help Prevent Diverticulitis / Diverticulosis

With the abundance of over-processed foods and white flour on the market today, rich sources of fiber are harder to come by. These foods of convenience have contributed to the rise of diverticulitis. Irregularity is a

big factor in this risky condition. To help ensure regularity, you need plenty of soluble and insoluble fiber in your diet. If you don’t want to eat celery, and whole-grain everything…or piles of bran flakes, the Chia Seed is here to help. Each seed is coated with soluble fibers which aid its gelling action. The exterior of the seed is protected by insoluble fiber. The insoluble fiber is unable to be digested (it does not contribute any calories, or break down) so instead, it helps keep food moving smoothly through the digestive process. Soluble fiber, and the gel coating of the seed keeps the colon hydrated and ensures the easy movement of food.

4. Add healthy omega-3 oil to your diet

Omega-3 oil is usually thought of as “that healthy stuff in fish”. But, what if you don’t want to eat fish every day? What if you’re a vegetarian, or simply worried about pollution adding harmful substances to your fish dinner?

Chia is the richest plant-source of this healthy oil. By weight, chia contains more omega 3 than salmon, and it still tastes like whatever you want! Omega 3 oil is important in heart and cholesterol health. It’s also recently been targeted as a weight-loss helper. USA Weekend magazine also reports on a study where overweight dieters who included omega 3s in their eating plan lost 2 more pounds monthly than the control group, who did not.

5. Feel more energized all day long

Don’t want to feel like taking an afternoon nap? Your energy levels have a lot to do with what you eat. Chia is one of nature’s highest plant-based sources of complete protein. Usually protein from items like peanut butter

and some beans are incomplete, meaning you have to combine them with other foods to get the full benefit. Not Chia though, it’s protein is complete to raise your energy levels. The combination of complete protein, vitamins, minerals and blood-sugar balancing gel all work together to make sure you have steady, never jittery energy.

6. Bake with less fat

Do you enjoy making baked goods at home, but hate all the butter and oil that has to go into them? Chia gel can substitute for half the butter in most recipes! The food will bake the same and taste the

same (or better) from the addition of the chia gel. All you need to do is divide the amount of butter or oil in half, and then use the same amount of chia gel to fill in. The anti-oxidants in chia can even help keep the food tasting fresh longer. Everything from cookies to cakes to muffins, pancakes and waffles can be made with chia gel as your butter replacement. Which recipe will become your new favorite?

7. Add age-defying anti-oxidants

Anti-oxidants have been in the news lately due to their super healthy benefits. You know that blueberries and several exotic fruits (that aren’t always in season) have them, but did you know that chia is extremely high in anti-oxidants too? These helpful substances are what makes the Chia Seed stay .

fresh for so long. At room temperature, they’ll stay fresh and ready to eat for over two whole years! And that’s all without a single chemical or preservative. This amazing ability is not found in other seeds like flax or sesame, because those seeds don’t have the same rich anti-oxidant content.

Anti-oxidants help prevent free-radical damage in your body. Free radicals lead to problematic conditions such as premature aging of the skin and inflammation of various tissues. Fight free radical damage by staying fresh and healthy with nature’s anti-oxidant powerhouse

8. Cut cravings for food

Being deficient in minerals or vitamins can create a craving for food. For example, if you’re low on calcium, you may feel compelled to eat lots of cheese and ice cream. This happens because your body knows that cheese is a source of calcium, and it hasn’t been getting enough. But what if dairy and whole

milk are a “Diet don’t”? You can always add calcium to your food by sprinkling on the chia. By weight, chia has more calcium than whole milk. It also has magnesium and boron, essential trace minerals used in the absorption of calcium and other vitamins. By balancing your vitamins and minerals with chia, you can curb cravings that might tempt you.

9. You can pack in more flavorful punch

How can a seed with NO flavor help the foods you already like to taste better? First, because they have no taste of their own, chia seeds will never cover up or add to the flavor of your food. Second, when the seeds hydrate, they magnify the taste of whatever they were added to. Put them in pudding?

Chocolaty! Swirl them into a smoothie? Fruity! The same thing goes with dressings, dips, salsas, sauces and more. These two factors combine to let chia seeds take on the taste of whatever you add them to. They distribute and never dilute, the flavors you love.

10. Save your money

Why should eating less cost you more? You already know diet pills are expensive, and ‘box meal plans’ can run up to $500.00 a month. If you’re buying ‘calorie counting packs’ or other individual portions in the store, you can also end up paying more because more preparation and materials go

into these foods. More than enough chia for 1 month costs less than a dollar a day. You can use as much or as little as you want to achieve your own desired results. There are no preparations required for these simple seeds, not even pesticides need to be used to grow them. They’re always safe and 100% chemical free. A measuring spoon is all you’ll need when you’re ready to take advantage of chia for yourself. It doesn’t get any easier or more inexpensive.

Chia Seeds are tasteless so you can easily sprinkle on anything.

Word of advice...buy the black chia seeds because they are no less nutritious than the white ones and they are a lot less expensive.

You can eat as much as you want and I would say aim to eat at least 2-4 Tbsps/ day. You can use them as egg replacement too.

I hope this might inspire you to try some Chia seeds out. They give you a ton of energy to boot!