Monthly Archives: October 2017

Chicken ~ Lifeofjoy.me

Prep Chicken

Tender, moist chicken for easy lunches or to make dinner quicker.

I heard Trim Healthy Mama co-author, Pearl Barrett, mention at some point that she super prepared chicken. I didn’t know exactly what she meant, but I immediately thought about prepping by cooking some chicken breast in the crock pot.

This produces a great source of lean meat that can be used in any meal. It can be used in an “S”/keto meal, an “E” or “FP” /low fat meals. If it is used in an “S”/keto meal, simply add healthy fats. I have found that I need to have more fuel pull meals when I desire to lose weight.

I use this meat in Michael’s daily lunches. I get chicken breast for $1.89 a pound at Aldi which is significantly less than price of deli meat and even less than prepackaged lunch meat. Plus there’s the added benefit of having meat already cooked for addition to a casserole, soup, salad, or wrap.

I use a general seasoning but you could change it up if you desired, giving it a Mexican, Italian, Asian, or even Indian. The decision need only be based on the how you decide to use the meat. I keep it very basic, so that I can use it in any meal and just change the seasonings at the time I use it.

It is uber simple. You simply place the chicken breasts in the crock pot and season with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. There are really no measurements, just sprinkle it on as you deem fit. You can always add more when you use it.

Prepped Chicken ~ Lifeofjoy.meSeasoning ~ Lifeofjoy.mePrepped Chicken ~ Lifeofjoy.meCook it on low for about 6 hours or on high for about 4. (I didn’t get pictures of the finished product last week, so I took them this week and that is why you will see more breasts and more seasonings in the following pictures.)

Chicken ~ Lifeofjoy.meWhen it is cooked and cooled, bag the meat and put the small amount of broth in a jar. Before you use the broth, remove the fat, if you are using it in and E or FP (low fat) meal, there won’t be much.

Bag Chicken ~ Lifeofjoy.meJust pull it out of the refrigerator and break off the amount you want to use.Bagged Chicken ~ Lifeofjoy.meI just break it apart to add it to Michael’s wraps for lunch or cut it up and add to a soup or casserole.

Yesterday I added it to konjac noodles for a nice stir fry.

Prepped Chicken ~ Lifeofjoy.me

I sincerely doubt this even needs a “recipe” but I’ll add it for ease of seeing the seasonings I add. ;)

Prep Chicken

Ingredients

  • 4-5 pounds chicken breast
  • salt
  • pepper
  • onion powder
  • garlic powder

Instructions

  1. Place chicken in crockpot in a single layer (or if you are doing more than fits in a single layer, season each layer of chicken breasts)
  2. Season as desired
  3. Cook on low for about 6 hours or high for about 4.
  4. Cool, bag, and refrigerate until needed. If it isn't used within a week, I'd recommend freezing it and use it in a soup or casserole upon thawing.
https://lifeofjoy.me/prep-chicken/

When I get home from running errands, I throw it in the crock pot and before bed be sure to bag and refrigerate it. And even though there is only about one to two cups of broth, save it! It is very flavorful.

I have found this so helpful and time saving. I recently made a dinner and was able to get it done more quickly because I already had my meat cooked.

Until next time, God bless,

Michele ºÜº

P.S. I have since found out that she super preps by roasting/baking three whole chickens in the oven. I think my way is easier and leaner. ;)

 

What To Do When You are NOT Interested in Intimacy

When you don't want to ~ Lifeofjoy.meIf your hubby is wanting to be intimate with you and you are not interested, you need to stop and pray/ask God to help you determine the reason(s) for your lack of interest.

If your problem is that you are too tired, find a way to take a power nap (you know one of those 15-20 minute naps/periods of rest; it is amazing how just resting with your eyes closed for 15-20 minutes will refresh you), so that you aren’t too tired for intimacy.

But if your problem is that you are just not interested or it doesn’t matter to you one way or the other, then I suggest that you, first and foremost, ask God to help you be interested. He cares about your marriage, and is the creator of sex in marriage, so He wants you to participate in it and enjoy it. Then go visit some Christian marriage blogs.

Christian marriage blogs will help you in soooo many ways! They will help you get your priorities straight, give you ideas for date nights (including stay at home ideas), and even some ideas on how to love on your spouse. If you go to no other blog, go to The Generous Wife because not only does Lori share things to help you herself, but she also shares two links most every day of the week, and you will be introduced to some other wonderful Christian marriage blogs as well.

The other thing I recommend is to actually just do it. Be intimate with your hubby. Intimacy breeds more intimacy.  Intimacy draws you closer to your hubby. Before long, you may find yourselves being more affectionate to one another and helping/serving each other more. There’s another reason to just do it though. The Bible directs you to do so. When you are married, our body is not your own (neither is your spouse’s his own) and we are not to withhold our body from our spouse.

If you do not enjoy intimacy with your spouse, research why and talk to your love about it. Odds are he will be very willing to help you find enjoyment. ;)

Until next time, God bless,

Michele ºÜº

Tired From Too Much Shopping

List Shopping ~ Lifeofjoy.meUpdated when I was more awake, with some fun pictures I overlooked in my exhaustion while preparing this post. :D


Last weekend I wore myself out!!! We all needed some new clothes. So the four of us trekked out together last Saturday. I stated our goal up front: go to Ross, Burlington Coat Factory, and Walmart. We also decided to finally use a gift card to Outback.

We started at Ross where I happily found three dress blouses and one casual top. Tiff found some darling jeans, several of them in fact, but they were all a bit more expensive than what we wanted to pay, so we opted to wait and check out the other stores for her jeans but we did find a darling dress for about ten dollars. (I will try to get some pictures posted of them soon. They are really cute.)

Next stop was Burlington where the guys scored big! They got jeans, a jacket, cardigans, shirts, and sweaters. We were already over the 3 hour limit Michael wanted to be out. He was a trooper though. We were all very hungry by that time, so we headed over to Outback. I love that it is so easy to eat on plan at most restaurants.

Shopping Lunchtime ~ Lifeofjoy.me

It was really good but also rather expensive. I used a second gift card I had as well but it was good!

We then spent a bit of time at Walmart and found a few more things they needed. It was a long day but a good one. It was such a long day that even though I needed to do some Christmas list shopping at Mardel and Hobby Lobby, Tiffany and I opted not to go out twice this week. That wasn’t the best decision though because we chose to add that to our regular errand day and we were gone for eight hours!!! I was so thankful that I’d put dinner in the crockpot.

I didn’t get my entire menu made but did get the dinner portion done. I’ll have to do the breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and desserts today. I find that I need to have something planned so that I don’t snack a meal while I’m deciding what to eat for my meal or snack.

I struck out at Michaels, with just a few possible items but hit the jackpot at Hobby Lobby. They were having a sale on a couple of brands of stickers, planners, and planner kits. I’m requesting a bullet journal for a Christmas gift and found lots of stickers and things I can use with it. I don’t intend to make it a work of art but I got some stickers that will make it more enjoyable. The stickers and stuff were 50% off!!!

I just love these!!! My kitchen has several Chef Dudes. These are just adorable.

List Shopping ~ Lifeofjoy.meI love these too! I have a thing for emoji too.

Emoji stickers ~ Lifeofjoy.meI also like this little washi tape. I think it will be a nice addition to my bullet journal; you know, the one I’m starting after I get it for Christmas. :D

Washi ~ Lifeofjoy.me

I also found a punch that will make a 2″x2″ (or very close to that) square. This is the size of the small Bijou Zentangle tiles. Normally it is $20 so it was on sale for only $10, so this was a no-brainer. I bought it and will put it on my list for anyone that wants to get it for me. :)

List Shopping ~ Lifeofjoy.meNow I’ll put these on my Christmas list and promptly forget about them until I open them.

We did the same kind of thing with some clothes we found for Tiffany last week at Ross, not the day we went with the guys but the day we went just the two of us for Christmas list shopping. Since there were only one of each item, I went ahead and purchased them and then let my Mom and sister buy whatever they wanted from me. It’s a win win!

After finishing that part of our day, we were headed to Sprouts to start our grocery shopping. At a stoplight I got this picture from my baby sister. (Yes we are both grown up now but I have two sisters and this one is the youngest, so she’ll always be my baby sister, especially since she’s 10 years younger than me.)

Shopping Day ~ Lifeofjoy.meIt took me a few seconds and then I saw this orange bit in her sideview mirror. I said, are you in front of me? Yessirree! That is a fun benefit to her moving closer to us, she now shops on my side of town and we will occasionally bump into each other while out and about. Unfortunately, our trip was not finished and we had to turn off to get busy, as she and the girls were able to head on down the road towards home.

You know, it is no wonder Tiff and I didn’t want to go out twice this week; we went out three times last week! We are hermits and that was really pushing it. I’ve already decided that I’m only going out (other than for church) once next week as well because the following week is packed!!! I’m working on a church holiday dinner and fun night for the 10th, which will mean being out four of five days that week. Yep, definitely staying home most of the week next week. ;)

Well, I’ve rambled long enough. I’m going to run and see if I can’t get some house cleaning done today; it sure does need it but I am definitely tired from my excursion yesterday. ;)

I hope you have a great weekend.

Until next time, God bless,

Michele ºÜº

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Resource Reminder

Resrouce Reminder ~ Lifeofjoy.meToday I just wanted to take a moment and remind you of a wonderful resource for resources. ;) I think I mention this site every year but it is that good!!!

Homeschool Freebie of the Day

This is a great website that points you to a free resource every weekday. Now I’m not saying you will be able to use every resource but you should find something that works for you, at least weekly. :)

When I visited yesterday in preparation for this post, there were resources for science experiments for the different senses, as well as some Halloween themed ones. There were links to some books including autumn poetry, a primer, and DIY projects for kids. Well, actually the Autumn in Verse link has around twenty poems picked out with very brief descriptions but click the link and there is an audio, download, and the poem, as well as a student activity (although I don’t see any “answers” to the activity, it still looks like a good resource).

They frequently have audio freebies as well. They have old time radio shows and very soon, they should be releasing their old time radio shows holiday collection on cd. I have one from years ago and enjoy listening to those old shows sometimes during the holidays.

If you haven’t checked them out before, go–do it now. If you have been there before but not for a while, give them another look; you may be surprised with the resources they are sharing.

I hope you have a great day and enjoy some of the links. Now I’m off to download the DIY kids projects resource.

Until next time, God bless,

 http://www.homeschoolfreebie.wholesomechildhood.com/

 

Smokey Loops and Frosty Windows

This week’s Diva Challenge is white on black, which means that I cannot combine it with the Purely Zentangle focus tangle because they require black on white tiles. I checked the daily tangle at pattern-collections. Today’s tangle and yesterday’s tangle are both part of their new loop tangles designation.

I hadn’t tried these before and really liked the looks of them. I decided to give them a go. I also opted to skip the string and just used Norwey along the bottom and then DecoLoop Echo up from there.

I love white on black tiles! I love the dramatic effect. Although I do not like the shading. The General’s white pencil is a bit scratchy on the tiles I use. I don’t like that.

I wish I’d have drawn DecoLoop Echo a bit smaller as it seems to have grown out of control. But it was fun to draw. :)

Here it is before shading.

Smokey Loops ~ Lifeofjoy.meHere it is with shading.

DC#338 ~ Lifeofjoy.meI was kind of going for a frosty window on the Norwey at the bottom. I think using one of Sukura’s new smaller nib pens would have allowed me to make this smaller and more delicate. I’ll be looking for one when I run errands this week.

I appreciate you stopping by and any comments you leave. Thanks again.

Until next time, God bless,

 Michele ºÜº

Eggs and Hash

Low-Carb veggies for breakfast! Simple, quick, and filling breakfast of eggs and zucchini.

This recipe is hardly a recipe at all but if you eat eggs several mornings every week, it can get boring to have them the same way every day. This is one way to have them and if you like a runny yolk, you can have your lovely over-easy eggs on top and let that yolk run onto the hash. Mmmm mmmm!

Now, I failed to take pictures of cutting the zucchini but it is really easy. I cut a small/medium zucchini into 4 slices down the length of the zucchini. Then cut eat slab into about 4 strips. Then cut those strips into small little cubes. :)

Put it in a skillet with a bit of coconut oil.Zucchini Hash ~ Lifeofjoy.meSeason as desired. I only used a bit of salt and a tiny bit of pepper.

Cook until desired doneness.

Zucchini for Breakfast ~ Lifeofjoy.meThere is a lot here because I did enough for Tiffany and I, so that was 4 zucchini.

Cook your eggs. If you are only cooking for yourself, move the zucchini to on side of the pan and cook two eggs on the other side, however you like them best.

I like my eggs over medium and Tiffany likes hers scrambled and well done.

Fried Eggs ~ Lifeofjoy.meNo, that is not a pancake! It is how Tiffany likes her scrambled eggs cooked.

Place on top of cooked zucchini.

Eggs on Zucchini ~ Lifeofjoy.me

Add some nutritional yeast for a nice cheesy taste and lots of vitamins. (It took me a eating the nutritional yeast a few times before I warmed up to it and tasted it as cheesy, so give it a few tries.)

Eggs and Hash ~ Lifeofjoy.meThis one is so simple I hesitate to write up the recipe but here goes.

Eggs and Hash

Ingredients

  • 2 zucchini, diced
  • coconut oil
  • 2 eggs
  • salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast (optional)

Instructions

  1. Put a little coconut oil in your pan or spray it with oil instead.
  2. Add zucchini.
  3. Season as desired, I used some salt and a bit of pepper.
  4. Cook, cook, cook, until desired tenderness/brownness
  5. Move the zucchini to the side and cook 2 eggs on the other side of the pan, as desired.
  6. Place zucchini hash on plate and top with cooked eggs.
  7. Sprinkle with nutritional yeast for a nice cheesy taste, with lots of vitamins.
https://lifeofjoy.me/eggs-and-hash/

I hope this recipe gets you out of your egg rut. ;)

Until next time, God bless,

Michele ºÜº

PS. I got this recipe from Trim Healthy Mama, just gotta give credit where credit is due. ;)

Even When I Don’t Feel Like It

Even When I Don't Feel Like It ~ Lifeofjoy.meI was in a facebook group recently where some ladies around my age were asking for prayer for their situation. Well, one lady posted with the request but there were others that commented with basically a “me too.” The situation is one where the husband is desiring intimacy but the wife is not interested. I got the impression that it wasn’t always the way things were for her/them.

I have to tell you, this really hurt me. I hurt for the husbands of these precious women, who were seriously asking for prayer. They were getting so many comments that I didn’t think my comment was needed but it has been on my mind. What I would want to convey, with the utmost love, is “fake it until you make it.”

I have learned that if my husband asks me if I want to be intimate that the answer is yes, whether I want to or not. Even if I don’t feel like it, if I engage in the moment and put forth some effort, it is an enjoyable time and my marriage is nurtured.

So my suggestion to these precious women would be, love on your hubby! Your marriage, your husband, and you are worth the effort. Don’t wait to feel like it.

Oh! If your hubby flirts with you and/or makes comments about wanting to be intimate later, flirt back, tell him yes. Then when you go to bed, if he doesn’t bring it up, initiate it yourself. He will be happy that you remembered. ;)

Seriously, if you make the effort and get your head in the game, you will have bettered your marriage!

I hope this encourages you today.

Until next time, God bless,

Michele ºÜº

Birthday Celebration and Christmas Wishlist Shopping

We celebrated Michael’s birthday this week. He is looking good in his new clothes we got him.Michael ~ Lifeofjoy.meI’m sooo proud of him. He has really slimmed down on Trim Healthy Mama.

I made him a THM Carrot Cake. It was pretty good but I cooked it a little bit too long so I thought it was a little dry but everyone loved it. Here is the only picture of I got of it, unfortunately you cannot see much of the cake (and Sean is the one who took this, as I handed the camera to him before brought out the cake).

Michael's bday ~ Lifeofjoy.meOne day this week Tiffany and I went Christmas list shopping. We went to Ross and found some outerwear she loved. Unfortunately the thing about Ross and stores like it is that if you don’t buy it now, you may not get it.

I found this poncho-ish top that felt so good and handed it to Tiffany. At first she just laughed but I convinced her to try it on anyway.

Tiff Poncho ~ Lifeofjoy.meShe decided she loved it and had to have it! In spite of how funny it looks.

Poncho ~ Lifeofjoy.meShe found some other things she loved and I went ahead and bought them. Then she put them on her list stating that I am the store.

I found some things I like but not sure if I want any of them.

List Items? ~ Lifeofjoy.meI also saw some artwork that were inspiring. I took pictures so I could attempt to recreate them myself. :)

Artwork Inspiration ~ Lifeofjoy.me

Even though we hadn’t finished scouring the rest of the store, we were starving and headed out to eat lunch, a couple hours later than lunch time. ;)

After lunch we decided to stop at Barnes and Noble for some browsing. I am in need of a new 5-Year One Sentence Journal. I’ve been looking on Amazon and found several that are a bit larger than the original one I’ve used. I wanted to see them in person. Unfortunately they did not have any of the 6×9 size. I did, however, find this nice looking one and it has a little more daily space to write in.

One Sentence Journal ~ Lifeofjoy.meI also found this calligraphy set with lettering book included. I’m not sure if I want it but it looks nice. And it is priced enticingly. ;)

Calligraphy Set ~ Lifeofjoy.meI love Barnes and Noble, as does Tiffany. We spent quite a while there and were finally just too tired to continue.

Then the other night, as I was in bed and would roll over to my other side, I got quite dizzy. I nearly fell down when I went to the restroom. The next morning when I got up, I was quite dizzy. We prayed for me, quoted some Bible verses on healing, and went about my normal morning routine, fighting dizziness as I went. Thankfully, by the afternoon I was feeling normal again.

I tried on some pants and shorts that are a size smaller and they fit!!! Whoo hoo! Unfortunately tops aren’t moving as well but I’m sure they will sooner or later.

I get to see my grandson and son this weekend, as well as my youngest sister, her family, and my parents. I’m looking forward to it. It’s been several weeks and I miss them. :)

I hope you have a good weekend.

Until next time, God bless,

Michele ºÜº

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Urushiol Oil

Yes, it is a tongue twister, urushiol oil. Do you know where it is found?

urushiol oil ~ Lifeofjoy.meIt is the oil in poison ivy to which so many people are allergic.

Here some other pictures of it, so that you can be fully aware of what it looks like in different stages.

Urushiol Oil ~ Lifeofjoy.me
New leaf growth
Poison Ivy Fall Colors ~ Lifeofjoy.me
In the fall it changes colors.
Urushiol Oil ~ Lifeofjoy.me
In a large patch

Did you know that the peel of one fruit also has this oil? AND if you are sensitive to it in poison ivy, you probably are to the peel of this fruit as well.

Urushiol Oil ~ Lifeofjoy.me

Mango! Sean is a bit of a picky eater, so the fact that he tried and liked mango is wonderful.

Urushiol Oil ~ Lifeofjoy.me

One day he felt a bit of a burning/tingling sensation on some parts of his lips. Within 24 hours it got red and started swelling. Then bumps formed and start oozing. Of course, there is the annoying itch! Then it begins hardening; the end is much closer at this point.

This happened to him after we’d had a new recipe and thus the new recipe was blamed. This process lasted for about 5 days or so!

Then a few weeks later, I saw this article: Mango Mouth. I forwarded it to Sean to read, to see if he thought this was the cause of his situation.

Then a couple of weeks ago I asked what fruit he wanted me to buy on grocery day; mangoes, grapes, and honeycrisp apples. The mango sat here for a week or more so one recent Saturday I told him he needed to eat it. The next morning his lips were a bit red and swollen! We realized that it was indeed the mango. The new recipe and suspected greek yogurt were off the hook but for the next week he was dealing with the nasty effects.

All this to warn you about the peels of the mango. Wear disposable gloves if you buy a fresh mango or save yourself the trouble and buy frozen or already cut mango. :)

Until next time, God bless,

Michele ºÜº

 

Artoo, Triloop, and Palrevo

The diva challenge this week, in celebration of Laura’s son’s birthday, is to use the tangle she created in his honor named Artoo. This tangle is easy enough but I underestimated it when I drew it. ;)

Square One: Purely Zentangle’s focus tangle is Palrevo. It seems to be a good background tangle. So I added it to this tangle as well.

I also checked the daily pattern over on Pattern-Collections.com and found it to be a fun loopy tangle called Triloop. I didn’t do too badly on my first attempt at it but it could take a while to figure the best way to shade it. Like Artoo, I think this tangle is best drawn larger. I thought I’d drawn it large enough but think it would look better drawn even larger.

Here it is before shading.

DC#337 ~ Lifeofjoy.meAnd then I attempted to shade it. Wish I had drawn Artoo larger. I will probably draw Triloop larger later. It is definitely challenging to shade. :D

Here it is shaded.

DC#337 ~ Lifeofjoy.meI rotated it because after I’d shaded it I liked it better this way but I see I could have shaded under Artoo a bit more darkly.

I hope you will leave a comment, they are so encouraging. I appreciate you stopping by!!! Have a great day!

Until next time, God bless,

Michele ºÜº