Five Simple Things (February 3)

 Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. This Day.

We took a trip up to IKEA this week to get a few random things. We enjoy walking through IKEA later in the evening when it isn't so crowded. Today was one of those days, with maybe 60 people max in the store when we were. We took our time and looked at a lot of the new displays and grabbed a few things for the school bus and for our home. Skylar found some great future college dorm ideas and this stuffed snake he named Hank.

2. These "Lights."

One of our favorite traditions is creating ice lanterns to place outside during the winter months. We make sure to place them outside on nights that get below freezing, so that they will last for several nights in a row. We like to create different sizes and also create ones that allow us to place a tea light inside of it. We have been getting more creative every year with them and this year we created our own "glasses" to hold our tea lights. These are easy to create by using anything that allows you to freeze water in it without breaking. You can use plastic containers and use rocks as weights. You really can't mess these up. Just freeze your creation in the freeze the night before you plan to place them outside.

3. This Drone.

Skylar got to finally try out his drone he got at Christmas this week. He had a great time learned how to fly it and also learned what tricks the drone can do and what pictures looked best taken by the drone. The one he has here is not available right now, but the one pictured above is another great beginner drone, especially for kids. You can click the picture of the drone to learn more about it.

4. This Moment.

This week we spent the day looking at different colleges for Skylar to continue his education. We explored different ones and are planning a campus tour of a few of them soon. During our time exploring different campuses, we also had lunch at Starbucks and tried their grilled ham and cheese. Perfect sandwich for a perfect day.

5. This Kitty.

Eleven (aka The Snatch) is always doing something silly to make us laugh. She's also up to some funny something showing her personality. She spends a lot of time with me when I work while sitting on my bed. She loves to be near me and I just love how she loves me.

One last thing: 

I've been having some minor knee pain lately and have gone on a pursuit to find the best muscle cream/salve/oil to help ease the pain. These three are my favorites right now. The first one (on the left) is Aromatherapy Associates De-Stress Muscle Gel. It has a pleasant scent and works in a way that is different from other muscle creams or gels. It works best in the morning, for me. The second one (in the middle) is my favorite out of these three pictured. It is by +Plus CBD pain relief sport relief sport recovery stick. It's the one ounce size and it works quickly and effectively. I like to use this one during the day when I have some nagging pain that won't seem to go away. I've also used this one at night, but I don't recommend that, especially if you use it in areas that are close to your face, like you neck area. It's a great pain reliever, and if you've been wanting to try CBD, this is a great one to start with. The last one (on the right) is from one of my favorite essential oil brands, Pranarom. It is their Warming Muscle Rescue Oil. I use this one mostly at night. It's not greasy when used lightly on affected areas. It's a great oil that helps with joint pain. 

Positive affirmations this week:

Have a nice weekend.

End of January 2023 (1 Second Every Day)

 

Soft Gingersnaps

 One cookie that gets made yearly in our house is gingerbread. I've yet to attempt to create a gingerbread house from this recipe, but I'm eager to try, so maybe next year I will give it a try and see if I can create a house from my recipe. But for simple gingersnaps, this recipe is our all-time favorite. It's a quick recipe that combines the great taste of gingerbread with a snap to them that you get from store-bought gingerbread cookies.

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 7 tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 stick cold butter
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 1 tbsp. molasses
• 2 egg yolks (separated)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Mix dry ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl. Add butter to mixture, honey, molasses, and one egg yolk. Mix until it forms a dough. I mix with my hands, because it's easier than using a spoon. Mix until smooth. If mixture is too wet, add more flour, if too dry add more honey, or molasses.

Roll globs of dough into a ball, depending on how big you want your cookies to be. Mine are about two tablespoons in size. Place dough balls on cookie sheet and lightly press down just a little bit. Beat remaining egg yok and brush a small amount on top of each cookie and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake for about 10-12 minutes for soft ginger cookies, or 14-15 minutes for harder cookies. Do not overbake.

Ginger is known to help aid in digestion, provide some relief from varicose veins, and reduce inflammation. These cookies can be paired with ginger tea to provide an even more ginger experience. Take freshly grated ginger (1-2 tbsp.) and one cup boiling water. Steep for about 10 minutes. You can add honey, lemon, or even cinnamon to your tea and enjoy up to three cups a day.

Five Simple Things (January 27)

 Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. These Stamps.

We rarely mail anything anymore, but when we do we make sure to purchase Forever Stamps with meanings. These bring awareness to the struggles behind PTSD and how all mental health issues need to be talked about more without judgement. As someone that struggles with mental health issues, especially PTSD, these stamps make me feel seen and heard. You can get a sheet of these stamps here.

2. This Light.

We went to IKEA this week and I just loved this little mouse nightlight. I've been finding some really cute and interesting lights lately, and adding this one to my collection was a solid.

3. This Box.

Kiwi Eco Box is always a welcome arrival in our house. This month's items are definitely being put to use soon. The bamboo clothes pins, the hand soap, the bottle brush, and the mesh produce bag will all be a great addition to our sustainable household. You can sign up to get on the February mailing list for this monthly subscription here.

4. This View.

On January 23, this week Venus and Saturn lined up with the moon and gave off the brightest views. I've always loved how the moon and planets sit from our view on Earth, but when the planets can be see from our own planet and light up the night sky, that's incredible. What a time to be alive, right?

5. This Dish.

On our Diabolic Evil Discord server we share a lot of random horror topics and pictures, but we also share things from our real life, including food. This week one of my moderators shared this Shepard's Pie recipe and I gave it a shot. It was delicious and definitely something we will be making again in the future. Here's the recipe:

For filling:

• 1 pound ground beef, cooked
• 3/4 cup frozen carrots, fresh or canned
• 3/4 cup corn
• 3/4 cup green beans
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• 2-3 mini tomatoes, or Roma tomatoes, diced
• 2 small jalapenos, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• Olive oil, enough to coat a medium cast iron skillet
• 1 tbsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tbsp. salt (or less to taste)
• 1/2 tbsp. pepper
• 1/2 tbsp. garlic salt
• 1/2 tbsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tbsp. paprika
• 1/4-1/2 cup beef or vegetables broth

Oil pan and on medium high heat add garlic seasoning and vegetables. Cook about 10 minutes before adding the cooked ground beef. Add remaining seasonings and stir. Add broth and cook for about five to six minutes. Turn off heat and set aside. 

For top:

• 6-8 medium to small potatoes, cleaned and cut into 8tbsp.
• Half a head of garlic
• 1 1/2 sticks of butter
• 1/4 cup milk
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• fried onions in a can

Boil potatoes and garlic until fork tender, drain water. Add milk and butter and smash together, or mix in an electric mixer. Mix well to combine everything together. Add salt and pepper and taste the potatoes. If more or less salt and pepper need to be added, add them now and mix once more.

For cooking:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Spread out meat and vegetable filling evenly into cast iron skillet
• Cover with mashed potatoes like you're icing a cake.
• Sprinkle with a bit more pepper.
• Cook for 10-15 minutes, checking often for spill-over.
• Sprinkle with fried onions and return to oven.
• Broil for about 10 minutes for a crisp top.

Serve hot!

One last thing:

This week was Skylar's last week at AutoZone. It was bittersweet, but for his first job outside the household, he learned a lot. Especially, how to deal with the public. He ended up working his way up to management while he was there and turning his key in was a sad moment. I told him that his first job is one he will never forget. Now his path takes him to college and we couldn't be more proud!

Positive affirmations this week:

While going to therapy these last few years, I've also been working with a dietitian. Eating disorders come on and stick with you for a variety of reasons, but with mine it was a form of control and punishment over myself and my body. Being raised in an environment where you're constantly having to live in fight or flight and not having control over your own decisions in a healthy way, you only cope so long before the trauma and abuse hit you. And, what I went through hit me like a freight train hard. I not only developed the absolute worse case of PTSD and CPTSD, I was also hit with a serious eating disorder. Over the course of therapy I came to realize I was only hurting myself and regardless of my past, I do have control of my present and my future. One of the things I've learned is a better relationship with myself. Exercise is no longer a form of punishing myself, but also reasons to love my body and what all it can do, and how strong I really am. I am now on a great path to healing physically and mentally and along the way I learned that exercise is beneficial other than just to lose weight. The image below may help you on your exercise journey. And if you're struggling with an eating disorder, just know that your body is yours. No one else is going to hurt you, but you. Love yourself the way you are and make peace with your past. I promise it does get better and those bad days are just that, one day. It will pass and you will have a fresh new day to start again. You really can do this. We can do this. We are going to be okay.

Have a nice weekend.