"Skinny Chicks Don't Eat Salads" - It Worked For Me.

Yesterday I mentioned that I was on a nutritional plan for tiredness and fatigue, and that I had lost some weight on the plan as well. Catherine asked me about it, so to answer Catherine's question:

A few months ago, I complained to my mom that I was feeling tired and run down all the time. I felt like an "old woman", I told her. I was tired by 2 PM, and ready to go to bed at 5 PM. Once, I pulled into the driveway at my barn to ride horses, at about 5 PM,  and never made it out of my truck. I fell asleep right then and there, and slept until my sister got there a little while later and woke me up. I was also getting headaches all the time.

I was dragging around every evening, until I would  finally fall asleep on the couch, or head to bed before 9 PM.
I was sleeping well all night, so that wasn't the issue.
 I wasn't doing an excess of hard physical labor.
I had no idea what was up, but I didn't like it. I need a lot of energy to keep up with my busy life.

 Right about that time I got a book from my sister in law, Katie. I found it in her Suburban one day when I was babysitting my niece and nephew. I stole it, and began reading it.

 It changed the way I think about food, and eat food, forever.

 The book is "Skinny Chicks Don't eat Salads" by Christine Avanti, CN.



 I highly recommend the book.

 Here is what I learned about myself and my eating habits:

 As the weather started warming up, I did my usual "Get rid of winter flab" thing: I started eating less and less.

 I ate something like this: Granola and low fat yogurt at 7:00 am. Leftovers from dinner, or a sandwich, or a wrap, at 12:00 noon. Dinner was usually some kind of lean chicken/fish/beef and veggies, or some stir fry, or casserole, etc. at 7:00 or 8:00 PM - or later, depending on when I got done riding horses and working in the yard/gardens.

 So of course I was feeling tired by 2 pm! I was going from 12:00 noon to 8:00 or 9:00 pm without eating anything, and drinking water and sweet tea. I was eating the right foods; I was just not eating them often enough, in the correct proportions.

 I was also not eating many carbs. I don't eat much bread, so the only carbs I was eating were occasional flour tortillas, or the morning granola, or maybe some rice  - usually brown. And of course, whatever carbs are in different fruits and veggies and the like.

 So here is what I learned, in a nutshell:
 You need to feed your body every 4 hours. After 4 hours without anything, your metabolism starts to slow down because your body thinks it's "starving". And, your brain needs glucose to function.
That doesn't mean eat like a piglet every 4 hours. It means eat something smart and healthy every 4 hours. And, well-balanced: a protein, a carbohydrate, and a healthy fat. Very little refined sugar; if any. Sugar makes me so tired!

 So this is how I changed my routine:

 I try to eat within 1/2 hour after waking up. I am NOT a breakfast person, so this was a challenge. Then I eat a small lunch at 11 am.  And I eat a second small "lunch" at 4 PM, even if it's just a low fat cheese stick and some sliced turkey. I eat again at 8 pm (after horses and swimming and gardening), and if I am not in bed yet, I will eat a bowl of pop corn or something again at 11:30 - 12 PM - although, I don't usually stay up that late.

 You can't eat processed foods or tons of sugar, or sodas or any of those things; this only works with whole and healthy foods; but you eat more often. Also, she goes into how bad "carb-free" eating is for you. Your body and brain need the glucose from carbs - healthy carbs. Not white bread carbs. Not eating carbs will make you tired and cranky; and sluggish. (And, despite the title, you can still have a salad. It's just a cute title, poking a little jab at people who only eat salads and practically starve themselves into the size they think they need to be. I, myself, love taco salads, with black beans and home made salsa.... mmmm)

 Anyways, I did it for a week and I felt better each day! My energy came back, I was like a tornado getting things done in the house, I felt sharper and less sleepy. And, even though I wasn't really on the plan to loose weight, I noticed, and my husband noticed, after a week on the plan, that I had lost some weight;  mainly noticeable in my mid section. I didn't even try. I wasn't wanting to loose a bunch of weight; I like the way I look, and don't obsess about being a particular size, or number on the scale. I had gained 10 lbs. after getting married three years ago and just never shook it. I just learned to accept it.  It was the lack of energy I was disturbed about.

 If you're having such issues, I suggest reading the book; and see if the plan works for you. Especially read the first half of the book. Most of the rest of the book is about meal plans and exercise.

This is the first diet and exercise book I have taken seriously; because it worked - for me.

A Lucky Find - And An Awesome Gift

Looky what I found at  "Sallies" yesterday.

 

I went over the dress racks and debated about a bunch of different dresses that just weren't the "vibe" of my shop; nor things I would wear myself. I moved on to other parts of the store to browse and ponder, then returned to the dress racks once more before leaving, to affirm my decisions not to buy what I had been looking at; when I spotted this. I don't know if I passed over it before, or if someone put it on the rack after I walked away, but as soon as I saw that print and the cuffed 3/4 sleeve I yanked it off the rack in a flash!




At first I was expecting to use it as inventory for the shop; because I never find things from the late 40s, postwar early 50s era that fit me - the waists are always so tiny. But then I got home, and decided to give it a try; and what do you know - it fits  me like it was made for me! (This is partly due to the fact that I have been following a nutritional plan I read about in a book; for tiredness and fatigue. The plan worked for my tiredness and fatigue, and I lost weight - mostly in my middle - to boot! That's a post for another day, however.)

 

 

 

 

It's a Pat Perkins label. In 100% cotton.

 My sister gave me the umbrella; that she picked up at an antique shop in Staunton, VA. She said I had to go to the shop.... and mentioned something about the entire second floor being full of "racks and racks" of vintage clothing.

Anyhow... I estimate the umbrella/parasol to be pre 1950s - maybe even pre war? I think it's from the 1930s at least. The handle is metal and (what I believe to be) lucite. The end knob is engraved in a lovely monogram. I love it.

 




Oh and the shoes in the photos? I found those at the same store, at the same time as the dress. By Blowfish. They were a perfect match; it was like it was meant to be.

 I love it when that happens!

Old Fashioned Lemon Meringue Pie Rocks My Socks

I love love lovelovelove citrus desserts. Even more than chocolate desserts, since I found out chocolate gives me headaches.



One of my favorites is classic lemon meringue pie. I began trying my hand at making lemon meringue pie in my middle/late teens the "easy" way; with sweetened condensed milk. I also had a heck of a time getting meringue right.
 
Eventually I decided to search out a "no-sweetened condensed milk" recipe; the way the pie would have been made in the good ol' days - because I love that kind of recipe. The originals. The oldies, but goodies. The ones that take a little longer; the ones that aren't "fast" or "easy"; the ones with "Grandma's" somewhere in the title.

So I fooled around with some recipes using plain milk. (Not condensed.) They tasted good; but the pies fell apart when sliced and served. I don't know about anyone else, but I like for a slice of pie to remain in an upright posture when presented on a plate; not succumb to gravity and spread out into a pile of sugary blob. And that's what the milk recipes did; they turned into a pile of yellow glop as soon as the pie was sliced.

 So I did some more reading and looking at recipes; and I noted that the really old ones used water; not milk. So I altered my recipe; using two lemons instead of one; omitting the standard 2 cups of milk, and instead used 1 1/2 cups of water. I also cooked it till it was truly thick, and not just "thickened".

 And as for the meringue: It has taken me many repeated and failed attempts over the years to get meringue right. I figured it out, finally. Room temperature egg whites, and working fast with the egg whites. Perfect every time now.


I use beans to weigh my crusts for pre-baking. I guess I ought to get some pie weights. But this old fashioned method has served me well for years......

 Just so you know, I did not personally eat all my recent experiments; I brought it over to my parent's for my dad to do away with. Hehehe

 Old Fashioned Lemon Meringue Pie (No Milk)

 1 cup sugar
 1 Tbsp. flour
 3 Tbsp. cornstarch
 1/4 tsp. salt
 1 1/2 cup water
 2 lemons, juiced and zested
 2 Tbsp. butter
 4 egg yolks, beaten
1 pastry pie shell, baked
 4 egg whites
 6 Tbsp. sugar

 In a med. heavy saucepan, whisk together the sugar, flour, cornstarch, flour, and salt. Stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and water. Beat the egg yolks in a small bowl and have ready.
 Cook the lemon mixture over med. high heat until boiling. (Will be thick.) Stir in the butter. Gradually mix in 1/2 cup of the hot liquid into the egg yolks.Whisk back into the saucepan. Cook at a gentle boil, stirring constantly, until thick; one or two minutes.  remove from heat and pour into the prepared pie shell.

 Beat room temperature egg yolks with an electric mixer until foamy; begin adding 1 Tbsp. sugar at a time and continue beating until high peaks form. Spread on top of the lemon filling while it is still warm and seal to the edges of the crust. Bake in a slow oven (300 - 275) until meringue is lightly browned. Cool, an serve.

Farm Kids and Hummers

Emilie and Ethan.

 
Emilie.
 
 I love that my nieces and nephews work on the farm with the adults. This weekend we did a lot of our hay and the kids were right these alongside of us. They can't do much work, yet, but they're learning by observing.
 My 11 year old niece Abi did begin learning to drive the hay trailers through the fields; and picked up some bales.

The humming birds are back! I made some feeble attempts to get some pictures of them. I stuck my hummingbird feeders in the midst of a bed of lilies and they  love it.

 

 

I have discovered a downside to extensive gardens.

 The time it takes to keep them up.

 I feel like I spend every waking moment in the garden/yard.

And I am getting ready to embark on my biggest project yet - a massive bulb garden in the front yard, with iris, glads, tulips; and whatever else comes my way - complete with a antique hay rake for climbing roses to ramble over. (This entails more moving of rocks - ugh)

 But I just can't stop. I  am attached to this idea of sprawling, cottage style gardens surrounding the house. Gardens growing willy-nilly and spontaneously all around me.

 Every day, just about, I find myself on line somewhere, reading about gardening - because I am not a natural born gardener.

 I go to Lowe's, or Home Depot, or Wally World and look around, pick up a pot of something and think to myself "this is pretty". Buy it; take it home, and stick it in the first available patch of empty dirt I spot. That's how I am "designing" my cottage gardens. Also, people give me cuttings of this or tthat, or give me cast off bulbs, slips, etc. from thinnings and I just stick them anywhere that seems good.

 I only hope that, one day (in the not too distant future) it will begin to make sense and look like the dream in my head.

 And, my hope is to not have to plant everything every year; but to have returning plants.

 We'll see it my mad gardener method produces the desired - and expected - result. Then I can sit on my patio and enjoy my flowers, hummingbirds, and cats while drinking sweet tea and reading a magazine.

 That's the plan. 

Office Before and After Pics; Part 2

Sorry for the cruddy, dark photos. I took them at a time of day when there is very little natural light in the front rooms of my house, and my camera doesn't take good indoor photos without natural light.

 Okay, let's venture into some of the rest of my studio/office/den room.

 Keep in mind: This room will eventually have to be gutted when we re-wire the house. There has been some water damage to two of the walls, and the bead board has buckled.

 Also, the fireplace, which is a working one, has to be re-made into a heat resistant hearth and wall, for our very hot, cozy wood stove.

 What I did in the room is basically a temporary fix.


Before

 
Before

 The original mantle pieces in the house were, at some point, replaced with more ornate ones. Years ago, when the house was vacated after the resident passed away, the mantles, many of the antique light fixtures, rugs, furniture, etc. were stolen - or otherwise removed - from the house. When we moved in, there was no mantlepiece here; just a hole in the wall.

 However.  Upon exploring in the barns, I found the missing original mantle piece belonging in this room! Now all the original  plain mantle pieces are in place.

 
After the painting was done, but before I arranged it all

After:


 
I got rid of the tall, boring, white Wally World book case and brought in a wrought iron, shorter shelf. I have my embroidery and vintage sewing books here, along with some vintage sewing baskets. I also stashed my home made dress form in the corner; wearing a white maid's style apron.


My new slip cover from Sure Fit; it's the "Lexington" one that also comes in pink/red. I pinned it up on the bottom, though.


 This is a fashion plate from a vintage 1927 magazine. I love it. The distressed turquoise colored frame I picked up at a yard sale.

 
 This is a throw pillow I made by drawing the "B" monogram on an old stained table linen, embroidering it, and then sewing it into a pillow.

 
 The fire place. I wish the wood stove wasn't in the way but there is no possible way I was budging that monster out of the shot. To cover up the fire place holes in the summer, I came up with this cool idea: a shower curtain rod and a length of fabric. Done.

 I hung a big print of some roses above the fire place; but what I really have in mind here is a large, antique, distressed mirror and frame. I am on the lookout.

 

 In the reflection in the glass of the print, you can kind of see the vintage light fixture. It's frosted blue glass. Hence, my use of blue in this room. The large white milk glass vase was something I found lying at the dumpster and rescued. (Yes, I rescue things from the dumpster.)

 

 The corner cross ways from the chair corner;  now complete. The dresser was a vintage Goodwill find, already painted green. Here, I used some pink; which I may get rid of.

 The corner I am not showing is the sofa corner because it is just a blank wall and a comforter tossed over a sofa. Bleh. I need to buy a new sofa and decorate the wall with................... something. Working on that. I also need a room sized natural colored rug.

 So for a temporary fix, I don't think it's too bad. It's tolerable; at least I can work in the room and feel inspired instead of feeling like I was working in a store room; or a dungeon.

Miscellaneousness

I think I just invented another word to add to my personal thesaurus.



 
 We have a goat now. I kind of inherited her from a few friends.... it's a long, unimportant story. Her name is June, or "Junie", and she eats brush and weeds and poison ivy off our old barns. Hooray!

 
 We have a new kitten now, also. I don't know if I mentioned it here or only to friends on Facebook; but a few months ago we lost our kitty Spook in a sudden accident. We knew that eventually another kitty would find us, and he did! It's a long and unimportant story..... basically, he was an orphan, and now he has a family. We call him Bugs - like Bugs Bunny. 

I want to try this project. I have just the lamps. I only have to find the perfect fabric.

I love this blog. I found her via "Flea Market Style" magazine. Her clean, basic, vintage, understated, uncluttered, bright style is very similar to what I call "my style", also! Check out A Country Farmhouse.

I think I'll go make a pie.

Y'all come back now, hear?

Upcycled Can Vases

I really don't mean to beat the "old bottle/jar/can" horse to death, here. But I have recently, really, really been "into" flowers in odd/unusual/whimsical vessels! Have you noticed?!  I also just really love my flowers that I am managing to keep alive around here. I like to drag them into the house and put them in just about anything. As you have seen.
So I apologize if this is redundant and annoying. :)

I did this project with emptied out tomato paste cans. And paint.

 

 

 

 

 

For these, I used leftover paints I have lying around. I find that the paint samples from Home Depot are great for small projects, too.

 

 This would be a great project to do with youngsters. Let them get all crazy with the paint, you know? Then, let them jump in the pool or play in the sprinkler, and serve ice cream and lemonade...... looks like I have planned my next party with my nieces, already.
You could also use different size cans, as well.