A Little Desk Nook

We did a small kitchen change up a couple of years ago by closing off a door to the downstairs den, adding sheet rock and moving the fridge. When we were finished, the project had left a “nook” area downstairs. We talked about adding a closet (you always need extra storage right?) but there is a closet right around the corner. We tossed shelving around, well not literally, hahaha, but decided against that as well.  Then we came up with the idea to build in a nook for charging phones, the laptop and a makeup table when guests stay overnight.  We’ve had this old wood lying in the basement for a long time.  It came off Papa Harris’ old trailer that he used to haul wood. The trailer had seen better days so we salvaged the wood to use for a project. At that time we didn’t know what project, but also knew that we would figure it out.

Getting Healthy 2017 Update

 

If I could sum the past six months up into one statement, I think it would be, “It’s working.” The first few weeks were rough. (if you need a refresher on what has been going on, you can go here) Learning to cook a different way than I had been taught. Breaking with the old ways and learning new ways are sometimes more psychological than anything else. You know, the old “but this is how I’ve always done it” routine. “I don’t know any other way.” Also, just loving the old way of cooking and eating and how it brings back fond memories.  We’ve had to break with those old habits as well and look to food as more of a “food is fuel” instead of “food is fellowship” and “food is celebration.” Don’t get me wrong, we still love to eat, maybe enjoy it more now than ever but differently than before.  We enjoy the “hunt” for healthy recipes and great healthy, organic, farm raised food, without chemicals and pesticides.  We are learning to grow our own food. Not in huge bulk but still growing organic, pesticide free food with no chemicals or man made fertilize.

No Sugar and a Great New Soup Recipe

 

I started the week with a sugar detox. No sugar for five days.  I have been surprised by the hidden sugar that I’ve found.  I popped a gluten free cracker in my mouth. Picked up the box, looked at the label and lo and behold, sugar. Right there in the ingredients. 2 grams in 14 crackers. Oh my! I swallowed it very quickly and put the box away. It’s harder than you think.  I gave up sweet tea three weeks ago.  Sugar in my coffee two weeks ago, so I thought this was going to be a breeze. Nope. Not a breeze. I have had to read every label.  If you’re not making it fresh, read the label. On the flip side, I’ve lost two pounds this week and I’ve had a lot more energy.  I’ve only had a few slip ups (because of hidden sugars)  but other than those few I’ve done pretty good.

Water, Waer, and more Water.  I’m really trying to get my allotment of water in for the day.  Eight, 8 oz. cups a day. Some days, more than that.  That’s getting easier every day. I like water.  I’ve just never liked it with meals and in large quantities. Now I just kind of reach for it instead of something else.  I do miss my sweet tea mixed with just a touch of lemonade.  I’ve had a craving for that little mixture a couple of times.  Nothing outrageous though.

We’ve had some really good meals.  I baked several chicken breasts on Monday and made a huge salad, enough for several meals.

One night for dinner we had salad with chicken on top with crumbled goat cheese.I used a red wine and vinegar dressing for my salad. 

 

The next night we had baked chicken, salad  and stir fry veggies (zucchini, yellow squash, red onions and mushrooms and brown rice.

Sunday,  I made, Honey Balsamic Salmon.  So delicious.  I served it with rice and oven roasted veggies. (Carrots, Sweet Potatoes, Mushrooms, Red & Yellow Peppers and Cauliflower)

Tonight we had the Tuscan Chicken Soup.  I got the recipe off of the internet and I made a few slight changes.  The original came from Cassie, at Hi Sugarplum. I think I overdid the chicken in mine but with my husband you can never have too much meat in the dish.

Tuscan Chicken Soup

( Cassie’s is Tuscan Vegetable. Because of all the chicken in my rendering of the recipe, I’m calling mine Tuscan Chicken.) (I copied her recipe here and then noted the changes I made)

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. olive oil  ( I used coconut oil)
1 cup chopped kale or cabbage (I used cabbage and used 2 cups)
1 cup diced celery (about 2 stalks)
1 cup diced zucchini (about 1 medium)(I used 2 cups)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tsp. dried)
1 tbsp. chopped fresh sage (or 1/2 tsp. dried)
1/2 tsp. sea salt, plus more to taste
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper, plus more to taste
4 cups chicken broth (fat-free & low-sodium) (I added an additional cup of water)
14 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
2 handfuls baby spinach (about 2 cups packed)
1-2 cups shredded chicken (optional) (I probably had 4 cups of chicken, lol)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in medium-sized soup pan over medium-high heat. Add veggies and spices (kale through pepper), and cook until tender (about 5 minutes)

2. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, and chicken, and bring to boil. Add the spinach leaves and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes.

And that’s the whole enchilada.  So good.  I always look at a recipe and then make adjustments, except in baking. I don’t trust myself in baking to do that.  But if it’s on the stove top, I will adjust a recipe all day long.  The next time I make this recipe I will use a jar of tomatoes that I canned from the garden this past summer.  I didn’t remember to do that today.  I also used homemade chicken broth that I had in the freezer.  It’s getting time to make another batch. Maybe I’ll share my broth recipe here.

I hope you all have a great weekend.

I leave you with this verse:  Jeremiah 33:6  Nevertheless,  I will bring health and healing to it;  I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security.

Until we meet again, it’s just an Average Day on Everidge.

Fif

Live to Eat or Eat to Live? That is the Question…

I’ve done this a couple of times. Hahaha! You know, changed my eating habits. You might have done the same thing a time or two. Some of the changes have stuck. Like the time I stopped drinking soft drinks in 2004. I still haven’t started back.  I will on a very rare occasion have a ginger ale but that might happen once or twice a year at the most.  In addition, since 2004, for the most part, we eat an organic or all natural diet. It’s hard to do that all the time but we try very hard to stick to that lifestyle. We just feel better when we do. We can actually feel it if we eat out at a lot of restaurants. We call it the “preservative hangover”. Normally, I will try to find something on the menu that doesn’t have a lot of seasoning on it. For example, I will ask for fish to be broiled with just salt and pepper. I definitely try to stay away from MSG and other preservatives.

Life Lately

October is our favorite month of the year.  James and I  met on October 16. 1981. Married on October 22, 1982.  Had our daughter on October 4, 1989. The fair is in October. The best chicken stews and street festivals are this month  and before you know it life is busy, busy. October leads into November and straight into the holiday season.  Before you know it, Christmas is here and you’re not sure how that happened at all.

“Worry Becomes Worship”

I know that for me, like probably many of you, the past few weeks have been been filled with some fear and and worry. Worry for our country. Worry for friends and family. It’s so easy to get caught up in the news reports.  Sometimes, I can’t tear myself away from the breaking news reports. I suppose I think if I sit there or listen long enough, eventually someone will come on the TV and say, “We are sorry, but it’s all been a mistake and we have misreported. It was just a movie set.”

Hide it Under A Bushel, NO!…

…I’m gonna let it shine. Hide it under a bushel NO! I’m gonna let it shine. Let it shine! Let it shine! Let it shine!

(Disclaimer: This is my personal blog page. I have my own personal opinions. You have yours. You have the right, just as I, to have your own blog page and to voice your own opinions. This post is not a debate about HB2.  This post was written in love and with a kind heart. With that being said, know this above all else, you are loved. God loves you and I do too. )

We Raised the Beds

 

The beds are raised.  The garden beds that is. If you remember, back in February, I posted about raising a garden and building garden beds. You can go back here and read that post if you need to catch up.  In that post I showed you pictures of our dream garden. How we wanted it to look, etc.  Well, I’m happy to report that it is coming along nicely.

“The Katharine”

There is a new restaurant coming to town. Due to open late April, “The Katharine,” named for the R.J. Reynolds family matriarch, is located in the Reynolds Building on the corner of 4th and Main.  The Katharine Brasserie & Bar will have an art deco style with the menu of grand French café and a little southern cuisine added in as well.

Hair Transition Finale

It is finally over. It took exactly one year. 12 months from the last of the dye. The red, the brown, the very dark brown (almost black) then the blonde.  I can truthfully say that I love it!  There were days during the first 3-4 months when I wondered if I was strong enough to withstand the line of demarcation but once you get past a certain point you can rest. It’s all easy from there.

In December 2014 we had dyed it so dark brown that it was almost black. My hair looked very harsh and I knew the transition wouldn’t be easy and would be very obvious. I was chasing my roots to the salon every four-six weeks.

We shortened and highlighted in the beginning. The picture below was taken in June of 2015. This is my best friend Sharon. I never realized how close in color our hair was until I just looked at this picture.  Our hair has never even been near the same color and I’ve had every color in the book.  Believe me…

In December 2015, (one year from the darkest hair of all time) the picture below is where I was.  You can see the blonde fringes around my face.

And now, April 2016 (because I’m late in posting) you can see the final transition.

I have some crazy streaks and colors but I think that’s what makes us all unique. Your hair will be a different color of gray than mine. I’ve heard people say, and I’ve said it myself, “if I knew my hair would be as pretty as yours I would do it.”   I seriously had no idea what color/shade I would end up with.  As I was transitioning to my natural color the one thing that I tried to focus on and remember was this: no one could perfect the color that my creator designed just for me.  All I needed to do was be patient, wait and see what He designed for just me.

No matter what anyone else says or thinks, you are beautiful. No matter what hair color you choose, whether it’s your natural color or a bottle/box color, you are beautiful.  I have a friend who, I believe, is gorgeous.  She is constantly getting compliments on her looks. One day I heard someone tell her she was so pretty and she said “My mom always said, ‘pretty is as pretty does.'” It’s what is on the inside that makes us beautiful on the outside.  Be your best self. Be who God created you to be. Let His love shine through you.

I Peter 3:4b …but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.

It’s just an Average Day on Everidge, Fifi

Credits:

• Morgan Howell @ Ego Hour Hair Designers Morgan was with my decision all the way. She was super supportive and made the transition fun and exciting along the way. She is awesome.
• Sonja Broome, my ever so patient aunt, who is a retired hairdresser. She was my hairdresser for over 30 years before retiring. She helped me through the rough spots, over and over again. 
• Kristen Harris, my precious, very matter of fact, outspoken daughter, who loves me in spite of my insecurities and many times says the hard stuff that I need to hear.  I know that no matter what, she has my back.
• Kayla Harris, my sweet daughter in law (a hairdresser) who has been ever so complimentary and supportive of this endeavor.
• Brad Harris, my precious son who tells his mom that she is beautiful no matter what color her hair is.
• My sweet mom and dad for always telling me that I’m beautiful.
• My friend Sharon, who has been in this with me from the beginning. We’ve had some major life transitions in the middle of it but we’re still hanging on strong. 
• And last but not least, my most patient and kind husband, James. He has been here through the thick and thin of it.  “Should I cut it?” “Should I let it grow?”  “Is it ugly?” “Should I color it?” “Oh my goodness, I can’t stand it another minute.” “My hair!”  “I think it looks ok, what do you think?” I could go on and on.  I’m sure he is glad that this chapter is done.  He has never once said that I look older or asked me to please not talk about it anymore. He just patiently listens and encourages me. Something that he does so well.  Thank you, sweetie.  I love you!