Praise Report

Greetings, Dear Ones!

I want to thank those of you who has been standing in faith with John and I and lifting us up in their prayers. After a rather intense week of waiting, the results of his scans are in and everything is completely NORMAL!!! Praise the Lord! Having COVID is suspected of being behind some of his issues and probably some of mine, too. John sees the doctor again in May and, after seeing the doctor yesterday, I in August. Both of us remain medication-free and will work on the issues that we do have dietarily.

In the meantime, we have weathered the storm physically and emerged stronger and more determined than ever to keep moving forward in the things of God. He is so good to us and we praise Him for good health and His magnificent healing power! Praise the name of the Lord!

A couple of scripture verses that we've been standing on lately and will continue to stand on in the days ahead...

"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." (3 John 1:2)

"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (I Thessalonians 5:23)

Until next time...

~Rebecca

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Recipe - Good Earth Rolls

Sue Gregg's Good Earth Rolls are a family favorite. They taste great and are super healthy!

GOOD EARTH ROLLS

1. (Optional) Soak 1/3 cup sunflower seeds in water and let stand overnight (preferred) or while mixing dough.

2. Blend in a 2 cup glass measuring cup in order given and let stand until bubbles up (5 to 10 minutes):

   1/2 cup very warm (but not hot) water

   2 envelopes (2 tablespoons) active dry yeast

   1 teaspoon honey

If yeast mixture threatens to bubble over top of container before you are ready to use it, stir it down.

3. Meanwhile, blend in mixing bowl:

   1 1/2 cups very hot water (not boiling)

   1/3 to 1/2 cup honey

   1/4 to 1/3 cup olive or canola oil

   2 teaspoons salt

4. Add and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon about 3 minutes:

   1 1/4 cup hard white wheat flour or whole wheat flour

   dissolved yeast mixture

5. Add water, yeast, and honey mixture, as well as, the remaining flour as needed to prevent sticking while kneading about 10 minutes:

   2 cups hard white wheat flour or whole wheat flour or      

      unbleached white flour

   2 1/2 to 3 cups hard white wheat flour or whole wheat            flour

   sunflower seeds, drained, optional

6. Place dough in bowl, lightly grease top, cover, and let rise until double, about 1 hour.

7. Punch dough down in center with fist, knead down and divide in half. Shape each piece into 12 rolls.

8. Place rolls in greased pans so that they are barely touching. Let rise in warm place 15 to 20 minutes.

9. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Brush rolls immediately after baking while hot with soft or melted butter. 

Makes 2 dozen rolls.

Until next time...

~Rebecca

Recent and related posts that you might enjoy reading...

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Recipe - Protein Snack Balls

Our oldest daughter recently shared this recipe for Protein Snack Balls with me. I made it yesterday for the first time and served it to guests as a dessert after supper last night. It was a HUGE success! It was very similar to our old family favorite no-bake recipe, but no sugar...no butter! THIS will be the no-bake of choice for us from now on!

PROTEIN SNACK BALLS

1/2 c. raw honey
1 c. natural peanut butter
1/2 c. melted coconut oil
3 1/2 c. regular oats
1/4 c. cocoa
1/2 c. chia seeds
1/2 c. unsalted, roasted, sunflower kernels
1/2 c. raisins, chocolate chips, coconut, or chopped nuts

Mix ingredients together, shape into 1-inch balls, and refrigerate until ready to serve. Delicious!

Trim Healthy Mama's Good Girl Moon Shine

Good Girl Moon Shine Served In A McAlister's Cup

Good Girl Moon Shine is a refreshing and tantalizing drink that I discoverd through the Trim Healthy Mama website, and it is so good! I usually drink a quart, sometimes two quarts, a day.

To make, start with a large glass or a quart jar filled with ice. As you can see, I use a 32 oz. McAlister's cup. I don't know why. I just prefer it. :)

To the ice I add 4 packages of Truvia, 1 teaspoon of ground ginger, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 2 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar (make sure it's the good kind with 'the mother' in it), and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Then finish filling the cup with water and stir. That's it! (You do have to kind of stir or shake the drink each time you take a sip because the cinnamon and ginger tend to settle to the bottom.)

Good Girl Moon Shine helps you to kick the soda habit, keeps you hydrated, curbs mindless snacking, aids in digestion, detoxifies, clarifies, and alkalizes your body.

I have seen many different variations of this recipe, and I think my variation is probably different yet, from others that I have seen. To view the original recipe click HERE.

Occasionally, I do have a glass of the original and it's just as refreshing and tantalizing as my version.

GGMS Original Recipe

Have a blessed day!

All My Love,
~Rebecca

#thm

One Thousand Gifts - #15 - how hard my dad worked to make a living for us, #18 -a grandchild's hand held in my own, and # 27 - Scotch fortitude

Cottage Blueberry Porridge (E)

Cottage Blueberry Porridge (E) Single Serving

When I first saw this recipe I didn't think it sounded good at all, but, after trying it, it's turned out to be one my favorite Trim Healthy Mama breakfasts thus far. I usually serve it two to three times per week.

COTTAGE BLUEBERRY PORRIDGE - E

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

1/2  cup low-fat (1%) cottage cheese

1 cup cooked oatmeal 

a pinch of sea salt 

1 tsp. cinnamon 

sweetener to taste (I use 2 packages of Truvia.) 

Place blueberries and cottage cheese into food processor and process until smooth.

Place hot cooked oatmeal into a breakfast bowl. Add cinnamon, sweetener, and sea salt if it wasn't added during cooking.

Garnish with the blueberry cottage cheese mix to the sides of bowl that contains the oatmeal. Don't mix it with porridge, but scoop some up with each bite. Yum-my!!!

#thm

Trim Healthy Mama - Where We're At At The Moment

Trim Healthy Mama

We've been on the Trim Healthy Mama for several weeks now. Well...sort of anyway. We still haven't finished reading the book (have I mentioned that the book is HUGE? 619 pages), but we've been reading along as we get a chance, trying new recipes, and learning new ways of doing things. Some of it we've put into practice; a lot of it we have not. As we do more research, we do have questions, but, thus far, we have gained a wealth of valuable information.

In addition to adding some really great recipes in our menu planning, we've been pretty much sugar-free for about a month and a half now (not perfectly, but for the most part), have given up white potatoes and discovered some really awesome alternatives, have learned the difference between starchy and non-starchy vegetables, and have learned a much better way of pairing foods for maximum fuel burning within the body. 

BUT...we have also made some very unwise decisions in the process, like trying to get set up in everything all at once, which there is absolutely no need to do, especially when your budget won't allow it. I feel really bad about this and feel that I have wasted money that could have been better spent elsewhere, but, my husband, who always offers grace when I goof up, tells me not to worry about it. He says we'll just chalk it up as a learning experience and move on. 

All in all I think things have gone well. At this point I think we're going to keep what we've learned that has worked for us, throw out what hasn't, and continue to move toward a simpler, more basic diet in the right combinations, but am not going to try to write about the Trim Healthy Mama on a weekly basis. I will continue to share THM recipes as I try them out and write, occasionally, about anything of interest that comes up in relation to it. We're not throwing the Trim Healthy Mama out by any means. We've just got to get a better handle on how to proceed using simpler, more basic foods. I will continue to update as we move along. And, when we get the book finished, I will be writing a review, so, watch for it! :)

You might be wondering if I've lost any weight since being on the Trim Healthy Mama. The answer is yes, some, but my objective right now is not the weight-loss as much as it is to get down to food basics...food as close to the way God made it as possible...and get off the sugar, the soda, and the starches. While I still have a long way to go, I have made progress in these areas, and I am thankful for all that we've learned and for all we have yet to learn.  

I will keep you posted in the days ahead and am still greatly interested in others who have embarked on the Trim Healthy Mama journey. 

Until Next Time...

All My Love,

~Rebecca <3

#thm

Cheesy Egg White Scramble With Spinach Served In A Half Joseph's Pita (E)

Cheesy Egg Whites And Spinach In A Joseph's Pita

I had some egg whites left over the other day that needed used up, and just a small amount of spinach, so I threw this together for breakfast. It was very tasty, and John and I quite enjoyed it.

All I did was scramble some egg whites in a small skillet that had been sprayed with pan spray. I sprinkled them with sea salt and black pepper. Then, just before the eggs were done I added a couple of handfuls of fresh, raw spinach and sauteed all together. Right at the end I sprinkled the whole thing with just a tiny amount of shredded 2% sharp cheddar cheese, allowing it to melt into the egg and spinach mixture. Then, I divided the mixture equally into two parts, and stuffed each portion into one-half of a Joseph's pita.

Short, sweet, and to the point...breakfast! <3

Until Next Time...

All My Love,
~Rebecca

Trim Healthy Mama - My Favorite Evening Meal

Broiled Salmon With Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes, Creamless Cream Sauce, and Asparagus

Of all the evening meals that we've tried thus far, this is, by far, my favorite...broiled salmon (S), Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes (S) served with Creamless Creamy Veggies (S, E or Fuel Pull - sauce served as a gravy), and a dark green vegetable (usually broccoli, but, tonight, fresh asparagus), and we have this meal, at least, a couple of nights per week. It's absolutely delicious!

The way I make the salmon is, I start with frozen fillets...one per person. Before placing the frozen fish in the baking dish, I put about a half tablespoon of butter and a half tablespoon of coconut oil under the area where I intend to lay each fillet. Then, after placing each fillet over the butter and oil, I pour one teaspoon of lemon juice and one teaspoon of red wine vinegar over each one. I sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper, then, cover and bake in a 400 degree oven. I allow the salmon to bake until I have the other dishes near to completion, then I remove the foil, kick the oven up on broil, and broil, flipping once, until fish is done.

The original recipe for Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes (S) is found on page 361 of the Trim Healthy Mama, and as Serene and Pearl say, "If you do these the right way, you can barely tell the difference between this dish and real mashed potatoes. The secret is the food processor." And this is true!

The way I make mine is, I start by steaming a fresh head of cauliflower. After it's done, I place the florets in my food processor and add a couple of tablespoons of butter (or light butter), sea salt, and black pepper. Occasionally, I add a tablespoon of cream or half and half, but, usually, not. I process on high until creamy and viola! Mashed potatoes! (NOT!) :)

To make the gravy I either follow the instructions in the book to make Creamless Creamy Veggies (S, E or Fuel Pull - page 352 of the Trim Healthy Mama) and make extra sauce to be served as gravy, or I make the sauce by itself, and serve the vegetables on the side. Generally, if I'm making broccoli, I make it per the book instructions, cooking the veggies in the sauce, but if, like tonight, I'm making asparagus, I cook the sauce by itself, and cook the asparagus separately, so that it doesn't overcook. (I like it to be crisp, not squishy and stringy.) Whether I cook the vegetables in the sauce, or not, makes no difference. I always use it as a gravy for the mashed cauliflower. It is so yummy! :)

To make the sauce alone as a gravy, I start with 1/2 cup of fat free chicken broth. To that I add one wedge of Laughing Cow Swiss Cheese per person, sea salt, black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. I whisk all this together and cook until boiling. Then I shut the burner off and whisk in one heaping tablespoon of Parmesan cheese. This sauce is a great accompaniment to any non-starchy vegetable, and even the grandlittles happily eat their vegetables when cooked in it...broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower...it doesn't make any difference. They love them all!

And, by the way, I did end up spooning a couple of tablespoons of sauce over my asparagus this evening after the picture above was taken. I just couldn't help myself! :)

So, that's my favorite evening meal. What's yours?

Until Next Time...

All My Love,
~ Rebecca

#thm

Trim Healthy Mama - The Journey Continues

It's been a busy week and weekend, and we still haven't finished reading the Trim Healthy Mama in its entirety, but everyday we seem to be learning something new. And, while this week has been far from perfect, we are pretty much set up in on-plan foods, and have made several new recipes, most of which we enjoyed, but, we are also coming to some conclusions.

#1 - We are definitely going to have to take finances into consideration and settle into a more economical system of menu planning. I have yet to set anything down on paper, but am thinking that we probably need to alternate egg white dishes, with, or without turkey sausage, or turkey bacon on occasion, with oatmeal for breakfasts, and the hearty soups (Red or Green) for lunches. I made a half recipe of the Hearty Green Soup on page 334 this past week and it is very good and it's very economical! A half recipe has fed my husband and I for days (a bowl each for either lunch or supper) and one day we even shared some of it with company! By alternating these breakfast and lunch ideas on a regular basis, we will just have to plan nice suppers and can put most of the allotted grocery money into those meals.

#2 - I still haven't figure out if we started off wrong, if we're missing something, or what, but where on-plan foods according to the book, in places anyway, include things like full-fat butter, full-fat cheese, full-fat cream cheese, ground beef, etc., we have decided to stick with foods that we traded those items in for long ago. Light butter instead of full-fat butter or margarine, 2% cheese in place of full-fat cheese, Neufchatel or fat-free cream cheese instead of full-fat cream cheese, ground turkey instead of ground beef, etc. Why add the extra fat and calories when there is no need to?

The thing that we feel that we've learned the most about thus far is the effect that sugar has on the body and how most of the foods that we were eating before, and the combinations in which we were eating them, created a never-ending process of glucose clean-up, which, in turn, made it impossible for the body to ever get to stored fat and use it as a fuel source. We feel so much better getting off the sugar and, did I mention? I love Truvia! And thanks to a new found love affair with cauliflower, I don't miss white potatoes at all, either. That is something that I never thought would happen! Wow!

I do wish I would have measured before starting this journey though because my clothes are definitely feeling looser. I need to buckle down and get more serious with everything, and I need to start walking again!

Well, I guess that's it for this week. To all you other ladies who are endeavoring to go the Trim Healthy Mama way, I wish you well. Feel free to drop in, comment, and let us know how things are progressing on your end. In the meantime, love to all and God bless!

All My Love,
~Rebecca

#thm

Trim Healthy Mama - The Journey Begins

As many of you know, I spent most of last month carrying out My Dollar-Stretching, Cabinet-Clearing, Clean-The-Food-Up Project For March. In reality, the project was two-fold. The first goal was to save money by using up the food we had on-hand, and using the money saved to take care of more immediate needs...which we did. The second goal was, as we used up the food on-hand, to start reading the Trim Healthy Mama book (that I ordered last fall) and see if I really thought I could make a go of it...and I did...and I do.

I'm still not finished reading the book in it's entirety (it's a HUGE book!), but I have read the biggest portion of it and am well on my way with familiarizing myself with the plan, learning some of the recipes, and putting them into practice. In fact, by the 20th of March we had pretty well cleared out our old food stock and, when I restocked with fresh foods on the 21st, they were all foods that were on plan and in line with the Trim Healthy Mama.

Yes, I've went on diets before. I've lost and gained...lost and gained...and regained even more, but the Trim Healthy Mama isn't a diet. It is a new (actually it's a very old) way of eating with a Biblical approach  to food, and I really feel that it is entirely doable. Even my husband (yes, my half-Sicilian husband who has to...make that had to...eat pasta up to three times a day...is reading the book with me and, for the most part, is coming on board, too. I've never seen him so willing to try new things before and I've never seen him go this long without sugar (and all those starches that turn into sugar) and be satisfied. Yes, I honestly do believe that this plan is completely doable...even in my household!

In the days ahead I hope to share my Trim Healthy Mama experiences with you here on a regular basis...my successes, my failures, favorite (and not so favorite) recipes, etc...and I am hoping that other women who are on the plan come along side and chime in, too, joining with me, and others, as we travel this journey together.

Until Next Time...
~Rebecca

#THM

Fresh Garlic For The Ear

I had been battling a painful, swollen, stuffy ear for several days and it wasn't getting any better. In fact, it was getting worse. It felt like I had a super ball stuck in my ear and I could barely hear out of it. I was living on pain relievers and Benadryl until I thought, "You know what? I'm just gonna try garlic!" I had heard of it from multiple sources before, but would never have believed it unless I tried it myself...which I did...and it does! A clove of garlic in the ear really works to draw infection and the pain is gone! And relief came in an amazingly short time!

What I did was remove a clove of garlic from the head, peel it, snip the pointy end off making it flat, and cut a few small slits in the end of it to release the oils. Then I stuck the whole clove down into the ear canal and immediately the oils began to sooth the pain. Within a short time afterwards the hard ball of infection behind my ear began to grow smaller and the pain was gone. I still have a very small knot behind my ear, but the pain and swelling have not returned. I am doing a second clove in the ear canal now and expect that it will finish the job that the first one started. I am totally and completely amazed!

Family Favorite Pancakes

These truly have become our family favorites!

FAMILY FAVORITE PANCAKES

Ingredients:
- 1 large ripe banana
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
- 1 (8oz) carton of egg substitute (Egg Beaters Original)
- Non-stick cooking spray

Method:
In a blender add all of the ingredients (except cooking spray) in order of appearance. Blend for 8- to 10- seconds. If the mixture is too thick, you can add a drop of non-fat or soy milk. Preheat a non-stick frying pan or spray with non-stick cooking spray. On medium heat, pour 4 inch x 4 inch pancakes. Flip when you see air bubbles on the top. Cook on the second side uncovered until the bottom is golden brown. Serves: 2. Serve and top with sugar free syrup or other topping of your choice. (I top with 1 TBSP Madhava vanilla or maple Agave Nectar.) Serve with 1 cup of fresh strawberries or blueberries and have a complete fat burning breakfast!

Fat Loss Rich & Chewy Brownies

Made these for the first time tonight. Delicious!

RICH AND CHEWY BROWNIES

(This decadent delight is made with only fat burning ingredients.)

Ingredients:

Dry
- 1 cup Evaporated Cane Juice
- 1 cup 100% whole wheat flour (use rice flour if gluten-sensitive)
- 1/2 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 heaping scoop of vanilla protein powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 TBSP 60% cocoa semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup walnut pieces

Wet
- 2 egg whites
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 TBSP original soy milk (Silk)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set aside 1 TBSP of both the chocolate chips and the walnuts for the topping, then mix remaining dry ingredients together in a big bowl. It is best if you get the lumps out of each dry ingredient before you add it to the bowl. In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients together. Then, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing well to prevent lumps from forming. Spray an 8x8 baking pan with cooking spray. Pour the brownie mixture into the pan. Top with the leftover walnut pieces and chocolate chips. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Cool and serve. Makes 16 servings.

Making Sauerkraut From A Vintage Family Recipe

"...And this is the finest Kraut I ever did eat. I am thinking of getting my self some cabbage and make some when we go to town make it this way and you wont regret it..." 
                                                      ~my great-aunt, Jessie McCann Martin

Grandma Maude's Handmade Binder

Among the many things that keep me connected to my grandmother (my dad's mother), Maude Belle McCann Brown Graham, is this treasured binder that she made in December of 1941 to house her, then new, Ball Blue Book, as well as other favorite family recipes in, among which is her sister, Jessie's, handwritten sauerkraut recipe. It's not only the recipe that my grandmother and Aunt Jessie used, but it's the recipe that my mother used, and the recipe that I have used since first learning how to can.

Dec. 1941 - Maude B. Graham - Birch Tree, MO

Grandma's 1941 Ball Blue Book

Yesterday we were blessed with three large heads of cabbage.

These were some of the biggest cabbages I've
ever seen and I think they were home grown!

They were too big to fit in our fridge, so this morning I set to work turning them into sauerkraut. Once again, I used Aunt Jessie's tried and true recipe.

Great-aunt Jessie's Handwritten 'Sour Kraut' Recipe

 Aunt Jessie's recipe reads as follows (and I quoted it word for word exactly the way Aunt Jessie wrote it)...

"...here is how I make my sour kraut I cut It with a cutter and then pack it tight In the Jars I use the handle of a butcher Knife and press it tight and dont leave no air holes In it and then I put a tea spoon salt to a qt or a table spoon  to a half gallon. and have a tea kettle hot boiling water and fill the Jar with hot boiling water and seal tight. and set the jars in a pan for they will spit out some. And this is the finest Kraut I ever did eat. I am thinking of getting my self some cabbage and make some when we go to town make it this way and you wont regret it..."

Using photos and a few further instructions of my own, I have decided to share Aunt Jessie's recipe here on HEARTH AND HOME...

After preparing the quart jars and tearing away the outer leaves of the cabbages (which were a real treat for our chickens), I set to work cutting one cabbage at a time into quarters, coring it, and slicing the quarters into food-processor-sized slices. 

Old glass mayonnaise jars work great for sauerkraut!

Slicing The Quarters

Preparing The Cabbage For Kraut

Alternately, I worked between slicing cabbage, running it through the food-processor, filling a big bowl with shredded cabbage, and packing it into clean jars.

The food-processor did a great job
of shredding the cabbage for kraut!

Shredded cabbage was everywhere!

Packing The Kraut Into Jars

You want it good and tight!

A wooden spoon helps to tamp it down.

Next, it was time to add salt...1 teaspoon per quart and boiling water to each jar. I'm not sure what kind of salt Aunt Jessie used, but I used regular Morton Canning and Pickling Salt.

Adding salt to each quart...

...and boiling water.

After that, the next step was to release the air bubbles. I did this by just running a regular table knife up and down the inside edge of each jar from top to bottom several times. After that I finished filling the jars to within a half-inch of the top with more boiling water.

Releasing The Air Bubbles

Adding More Hot Water To Fill

Then it was time to clean the rims of the jars and cap them with lids which had been kept on the stove in boiling hot water.

Cleaning The Rims Of The Jars

Capping The Jars

The final step in the canning process...at least this leg of it...was to rinse the jars and line up them up on the cabinet to admire their beauty.

Rinsing The Jars

The Finished Product (For Now Anyway)

I got eight, fully-packed quarts of sauerkraut out of the three heads of cabbage. While I was preparing the kraut, my husband was preparing a a cool, dry place under our house to store the kraut while it ferments. That is where it will stay for the next six weeks. After that we will bring it out, wipe the jars, refill any jars that are low on water, recap with fresh caps, and bathe them in a hot water bath for 30 minutes. After that, the sauerkraut will be ready to eat.

(This article is linked back to The Legacy of Home's 'Vintage Home Link-Up' page. Please visit it to find other great articles on 'vintage living'.)

Recipe - Homemade Air Freshener

Homemade Air Freshener

15 to 20 drops of pure essential oil (I used lavender)
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 1/2 cups water

Mix and store in a spray bottle.

Recipe - Homemade Furniture Polish

Homemade Furniture Polish

1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice

Mix and store in a spray or squeeze bottle.

Homemade Yogurt

I just got done making my first batch of homemade yogurt and it turned out awesomely good! Thanks to my friend, Carla, who shared the recipe, I no longer have to buy yogurt or sour cream! Here's what I did...

The recipe called for whole milk, but I used a 1/2 gallon of 2% milk. I turned the crockpot on low and poured in the half gallon of milk and let it heat on low for 2 hours and 45 minutes.

Then I turned the crockpot off, unplugged it, and let it cool with the lid on for 3 hours.

After three hours, I took out 2 cups of the warm milk and put it in a bowl. To that I added 1 cup of Stonyfield's Oikos Plain Organic Greek Yogurt (the yogurt needs to be plain and have live active cultures) and whisked it all together.

Next, I poured the yogurt-milk mixture back into the crockpot of warm milk and whisked it all together. After that I wrapped the whole crockpot in a triple-layer of large bath towels and went to bed. According to the original instructions the yogurt has to culture overnight (8 to 12 hours).

This morning...I had yogurt! Two beautiful quarts of homemade yogurt, plus enough starter (1 cup) to make my next batch! I just got done jarring it up into glass jars and putting it in the fridge where it needs to set for another 8 hours before eating (I did taste it though and it tastes delicious...just like the store-bought stuff)!

Now all I have to do is pick up another 1/2 gallon of milk and I'm on my way to making my next batch! I'm going to try using skim milk next to see if I can't come up with a 'fat-free' yogurt. 

The total work time involved in this process was between 5 and 10 minutes and the savings is substantial. On a regular basis we go through 3 to 4 containers of yogurt a week at around $3.00 a container, plus sour cream...another $2.50 to $3.00 (I discovered last night that the Oikos Plain Greek Yogurt truly does taste just like sour cream. I had heard that before, but had never tried it, and it's so much better for you...YUM!).

Anyway, based on what I just did, it should save us well over half of what we normally spend for these products, and the yogurt can be flavored up anyway you want it...vanilla, fresh fruit, whatever.

If anyone else out there tries it, please, write to me and share your experience with it!

A friend introduced me to the natural method of taking care of hormone imbalances several years ago and, for me, it has proved to be a life-saver, but this is the best article I've ever read on the subject. Just wanted to pass it along...

http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2010/10/hormone-imbalance-recognizing-and-resolving-it-naturally.html

LINK: 21 Ways To Eat Less Sugar

http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2010/09/cutting-down-on-sugar-21-ways-to-eat-less-sugar.html

Downloadable Non-GMO Food Guide

Downloadable Non-GMO Food Guide