My Dancing Sunflower

Somehow, I posted without actually posting anything. Hmm. I'm a winner! :)


The wife of one of Kevin's good friends, and a new friend of mine, gave me a house-warming present the week before last. She said she received one when she was first transplanted to Washington by her husband about 1.5 years ago. 


This is my Dancing Sunflower:

On the back of the pot, there is a little solar panel. Whenever there is ANY sunshine coming through onto that panel, my sunflower dances, reminding me that there is always sunshine somewhere, even if I can't see it. You see, even on overcast, cloudy days, some sun must come through, beåcause my sunflower dances, even if slowly.

As my lovely new friend pointed out, this can be a very needed reminder. She moved all the way from Texas, where there is much more sunshine. I only came from Oregon, where it's pretty much the same. But the reminder is still a wonderful one. Even if I don't miss sunny days that I once had ('cuz I never had them), I often miss comforts from my long-time home. 

The sunflower sits on my kitchen window, always a visual cue that I can dance on cloudy days and sunny days.

My herbs, recently transplanted to a greenhouse, unfortunately have had less dancing as of late. I'm hoping they make it. It's not looking too good.

So tell me: What reminds you to be joyful during cloudy times?

Monthly Grocery Budget

Kevin and I have made cuts every which way possible; at least it feels that way. The last item on the list was "groceries". Amazingly, our budget has come in at around $400 a month since we've been married. We eat healthily, eat out maybe once a month (which is usually part of the "date night" budget), and we throw little if anything away. So how was this so high? Where can we cut to save?


Well, I'll tell you, I've been doing the research. And experimenting. And talking to money-saving, wise souls. 


This is what I've put together so far:

• buy a pre-cooked whole chicken at the supermarket; use this meat for a few meals, then use the carcass to make chicken broth
• buy bulk (mostly frozen) food at Costco every other month. Fill the freezer as much as possible and use a small budget each week for fresh produce when needed
• make bulk meals whenever possible that provide leftovers for several more meals
• buy certain products (except fresh produce, dairy products, etc.) at a discount store like Grocery Outlet
• always except handouts ;-)
• plan ahead: budgets, meal plans, grocery lists - then shop
• stick to the list!
• use what you have before buying more
• get creative with spices and seasonings
• portion control - spread the food out whenever possible

This isn't magic, people. And I don't pretend to believe that I can ALWAYS make this happen. But if I can institute these guidelines into our routine, I think we can spend way less on groceries each month.

For the most part, I've planned out the month of July as far as the "big Costco shop". In fact, our meal routine is pretty set in general:

Breakfast: Apples with peanut butter or cereal for Kevin; Greek yogurt with honey for Nicole; French press coffee for both

Lunch: One of the homemade soups with homemade corn bread for Kevin; spinach or romaine salad with varying toppings (dressings, protein, fruit, etc.) for Nicole

Snack: Hot chocolate or strawberry milk for Kevin; air-popped popcorn or Lucerne light yogurt for Nicole

Dinner: protein (chicken, fish, beef, tofu, legume) and vegetables (salad, squash, broccoli, asparagus) with varying seasonings/flavor additions

Dessert: ice cream, pudding, jello, or some other goodie we may have on hand 

That's about it! We don't get too fancy around here. Although, I recently fell in love with anything made with coconut milk and curry. Mmmmmmmm. I try to vary the flavors of the lunch soups and dinners so that we don't get bored. That's when we tend to eat out - when we are bored with our usuals.

This saving money thing is harder than I thought it would be.

So tell me: How do you save money on groceries? Any tips or tricks??

This Doesn't Get Any Easier

I could write a million and one posts about how tiring and wearing exercise and healthy eating can be. Well, truthfully, the exhausting part is keeping at it. When I am in the groove, enjoying the process, feeling energized and productive, that is the best! The trouble comes when I am down, bumming, in a funk and ready for lethargy and comfort food.


Does anyone else understand?! I know you must! There are just too many diet pills, books, and blogs out there not to have a bunch of people who know what I mean. 


In a Bible study I started recently, which I'll be writing more about soon, the first session asked that we ponder these two verses: Galatians 6:9 and Hebrews 11:24-26. In short, the point is to keep going, to not give up, to press forward when things get tough. When I first read these and wrote my response, I was thinking about many other issues and circumstances (mostly to do with moving/change), but it has carried over into my thinking today... It means sticking to my health goals, even when it's the last thing I want to do.


Speaking of my "health goals", the definition is starting to change. Great, more change. For so long I have thought of it as meeting my exercise/calorie quota each day/week and eventually getting to my goal weight. Those are still true, but I'm finding that seeking holistic, consistent health may be more important. If I am meeting all my 'quotas' but having a terrible attitude or falling apart at the drop of a hat, then what does that say about my overall health? balance? stability? Those are just as, if not more so, important, right?


So tell me: What does overall, holistic health mean to you?

Weekly Update, and Whole Wheat Baking

Weekly Update


Exercise: 60 min. elliptical; 30 min. elliptical


Weight: I didn't weigh this last week. Probably a good idea...


So last week.


It seemed to fly by. I had coffee with a new friend here in town, which was wonderful. It is so exciting and comforting to find some normalcy and familiarity - not to mention really good coffee. Grocery shopping, cooking, Kevin and I visited a church, cleaning, went to a woman's Bible study, laundry, first time having friends over for dinner, budgeting, pretty much the usual story. My eating was so-so. I tracked my calories maybe three days... maybe even less than that.


I'm in a slump. A funk, if you will. Not that surprising considering all the recent change in my life, but not any fun either. I think I am starting to have more good days than bad. That's an improvement, right?


I'm finally writing this at 9:30 at night, when I had hoped to have it posted at 10 this morning. So that may be part of why my tone is less than jovial. Nonetheless, my head is full of processing and recipes and shopping lists, so I will leave you with baked whole wheat goods as promised and come to you tomorrow when my brain is a little less frazzled and fuzzy:


Because I only had whole wheat flour on hand the day we had dinner guests, I had to improvise. All of a sudden, I really wanted some desserts for our friends! Flipping through my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook revealed two promising recipes: Shortbread and yellow cake cupcakes. Even though I had not really used much whole wheat flour prior, I decided to experiment anyway. (And I made both chocolate and regular powdered-sugar-based icing to cover, just in case.)

The shortbread turned out to be quite delicious. The chocolate icing wasn't so bad either...


Then I used one-third of the yellow cake recipe (substituting whole wheat flour for all-purpose), and had just enough for my mini-muffin pan. Perfect! These were soft, moist, and quite tasty!

Together with the coconut basil curry chicken (same cookbook) and coconut curry red lentils (Pinterest), this meal was a hit!

So tell me: What good and healthy recipes are you feeding your favorite people?

Welcome to My Humble Abode

I promise: this post contains way more pictures of our apartment than you want to see. Enjoy!

Our stairwell "entryway".

"Front" door. 

BEFORE: Living Room.

BEFORE: Living Room.

Notice the large wire contraption. Not the prettiest piece of furniture, but it keeps us sane.

BEFORE: Dining Room/Kitchen.

The kitchen extension and pantry.

BEFORE: Kitchen

Dry erase board on the fridge.

Extras bin. Little bit of everything.

One of my favorite little aids to fitting it all in.

Notice the very long curtain. One of my "to dos" still undone.

Laundry room, extended pantry, and a spaghetti squash.

Magnet board above my kitchen sink.

The MacDuff cupboard.

Who invited you, Sir?

BEFORE: Bathroom.

BEFORE: Office.

This is the catch-all room. 

Sadly, most of my scarves are buried in our storage unit. We will be reunited again soon, my loves!

Closet: games, tools, gift wrapping paraphenelia, vacuum, exercise equipment, etc.

BEFORE

The hubs studying away. Good job, Babe!!!

BEFORE: Bedroom.

Closet: I have used every last inch of space to make everything fit!

My re-planted herbs in my MIL's greenhouse. There was no direct sunlight in our kitchen (where they were living previously), so they had to be relocated. Thanks, Mom, for the herbs! I hope I didn't kill them!

I am so excited to be settled, unpacked, decorated, and even entertaining in just three weeks after moving! God has been so good to us, even when we can't see it right away. I am feeling blessed, missing the comforts of my hometown, and thanking God every day for the tremendous blessing in my husband and partner. This (huge) transition would be unbearable without you, Kevin. Thank you for listening to me, tending me, and being patient when I "OCD" about the bathroom counter!

Thank you, too, all my readers, whoever you are. Thank you for joining me along this journey. And welcome to my new home!

So tell me: What things or areas in your home give you the most joy?