This is Life... Naturally!

Life is just a crazy thing, really... an abundance of responsibilities, things to do, places to go, people to see. A full calendar quickly becomes exhausting and overwhelming because there aren't enough hours in a day, or days in a week. There is a tendency to get lost in the shuffle and to just start going through the motions.

I'm a stay-at-home/work-from-home Mom and am proud to be... It's of the utmost importance to my husband, Nick, and me to give our awesome little girl, Delaney, the best care... and for our family, that's me! Between an active toddler, marketing/graphic design for our family business, my husbands work/coaching schedule, mealtimes, a slobbery bulldog, a garden and household chores, I struggle with finding time to shower, let alone a hobby, like playing golf. But, it's a temporary sacrifice that we make work for us and wouldn't have it any other way!

I grew up on a farm with a father who was incredibly passionate about locally grown food that is produced sustainably, and a mother who was insistent that I learn how to cook from scratch. Needless to say, I do come by being somewhat of a naturalist, naturally... so, it's a bit easier to live on less. Now, by naturalist I don't mean a wacko that doesn't allow anything "unnatural" on our table, body or in our living space. I strive to make natural choices for the main needs in our day to day life... like FOOD! I always remember hearing the typical 'eat your broccoli,' and 'is it made in the USA?' Well, I used to roll my eyes at these statements, but now I realize more than ever that a colorful fresh diet and supporting OUR economy is imperative! A healthy, balanced diet provides a foundation for life in general. I make it a point to make fresh, local (essentially organic) foods a staple and avoid (when possible) artificial additives, preservatives, high fructose corn syrup and GMO's (genetically modified organisms.)

It really is scary how uninformed we are when it comes to our food system. We now have school lunch plans trying to pass that gross cookie sheet pizza as a serving of VEGETABLES because it has TOMATO SAUCE on it... Funny thought - tomatoes are technically a FRUIT!!!
And we have big businesses like Monsanto trying to manipulate the natural process of plant life by treating seeds and growing plants in pesticides. Pesticides kill bugs, so how can even a diluted form of it be any good for our bodily organs?

So, although I'm not a Certified Nutritionist I have taken Nutrition and Soil Science courses. Although I don't have a degree in Culinary Arts, most Moms that cook for their families don't either... And my point is that we don't have to in order to make smart choices for our families and day to day lives. My goal is to share helpful hints, fun recipes and random tidbits that just might make your life a little simpler, a bit more healthy or even just spice up the regular routine. Hope you find some helpful insight within the posts going forward... :)

Homemade Carpet Shampoo - Skip the expensive, store-bought stuff!

When you move into a new house, you inevitably find a few things that become a source of frustration. After all, no house is perfect as-is. The main source of my frustration lately is the fact that the previous owner thought it was a good idea to put CARPET in the KITCHEN.... if there is one thing I'm not crazy about in a house, it's carpet! And it becomes a pet peeve when I find it in the kitchen or bathroom. Our house came with a beige berber in the kitchen and dining area. Between Nick, myself, Laney (2) and Champ (bulldog) all sorts of spills and dribbles land on this wonderful stuff...

I get so frustrated thinking about the cost of carpet shampoo. If I clean all the carpet in the house, I need about one full bottle each time at about $15 per bottle.
Whereas it's definitely cheaper in the short run than our goal ripping up the carpet and replaing it with hardwood, I like to save money wherever I can. So, I started looking up ingredients and recipes for homemade carpet shampoo. I found a combination that worked great on our carpet and the added bonus is that I know exactly what ingredients are in it!

We have a Bissell Quicksteam Carpet cleaner, but this mostly likely would work with other carpet machines too... I also used it as a spot cleaner and scrubbed it with a stiff bristle carpet brush.

-2/3 Cup dish soap (I used the laundry detergent we had because
it's got a nice scent to it; dish soap is better at removing grease.)
-1 1/2 Tbsp white Vinegar
-1/2 Cup Peroxide
-1 Gallon Hot water

Mix the soap, vinegar and peroxide together then add the mixture to the hot water... but DON'T add the hot water to the mixture, unless you want to have a foam party!
Use in your machine as you normally would. It would probably be smart to do a spot test too, before you try it on a large spot.

Cajun Chicken, Bacon & Jalapeno on a bed of Fresh Steamed Kale

As I was staring into the fridge last night trying to decide what to make for supper, an abundance of fresh veggies from Dad & Moms garden (BWA Commercial Garden) were staring back at me. I decided to get creative and use some of the Jalapenos and all the fixins for a 100% fresh garden salad. Below is the recipe for 1 (one) serving - duplicate to accommodate your family size!

Cajun Chicken wrapped Bacon & Jalapeno!
1 chicken breast (I use tenderloins so it isn't as thick, takes less time to cook)
1 jalapeno (sliced in 1/2, lengthwise, top cut off and de-seed for mild spice)
1 strip of bacon
1 Tbsp shredded cheese (approx)
1 tsp ranch dressing (or cream cheese)
Cajun or Taco seasoning (or whatever seasoning you like on chicken)
(For family size meals, just grab a lb of bacon, a lb of chicken tenderloins or breasts, 3-6 jalaps and cheese, ranch and seasoning)

1. Preheat oven or toaster oven to 375*

2. Pound the chicken breast with a large spoon, meat hammer, or whatever you find in your kitchen, to flatten and tenderize chicken. Sprinkle cajun or taco seasoning all over the top/bottom of the chicken.

3. Take the jalapeno, like a little boat, and fill with the ranch dressing or cream cheese. Then sprinkle the cheese on top. Wrap the bacon around the jalapeno boat and place across the middle of the chicken breast.

4. Wrap the chicken around the jalapeno/bacon boat, try to stretch it so it doesn't flop open while baking. (Use a toothpick if you need to, just make sure it doesn't burn while baking.)

5. Place on a lightly greased pan or pan rack and bake for approx. 15-20min. Chicken should reach an internal temp of 175-180 and be juicy, but not pink! I like to use a meat thermometer, which I got at WalMart for $2-3, very handy and good to have if you do a lot of grilling too!

Bacon Wrapped Cheesy Jalapeno Boats
A yummy appetizer to this can be made by merely using step 3 and throwing in the oven @ 375* until bacon is sizzling and browned and cheese is melted!

Steamed Kale

Kale is something I

come to love since my parents started growing it. It has a similar taste to broccoli, brussel sprouts, collard greens, etc...

3-6 large Kale leaves - Cut or torn into bite size
salt & pepper
1-2 Tbsp butter

In a large skillet, melt the butter over med-low heat and sprinkle in a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss in the Kale and cover.... watch closely to see the leaves start to wilt, approx 2min. Stir/fluff the Kale once, at a pinch more salt & pepper if you want and re-cover, approx 1-2min more. When the Kale has all wilted, you will see it has turned to a deep rich green - its done!!! Don't let it over cook!!

Place the kale on a plate and put wrapped chicken on top. I served it with a fresh garden salad and Newmans own Parmesan garlic dressing... love Newmans Own because 100% of the profits go to charity, pretty cool!!!

Hope you enjoy!

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Liability on a golf course...

So Nick went golfing this weekend for his cousin Justins bachelor party....Shocking that he went golfing before me this year... I even let him use my clubs!!! But thats beside the point...:) HAHA. Not being a regular golfer, he questioned our friend and me about a topic that came up while on the course.

Most golf courses have houses lining at least a few of the holes and straying golf balls are inevitable.The question is:

Who is liable when a golfers errant ball finds a window of one of those houses???

Is it the golfer?
Is it the homeowner?
Is it the golf course?

I've found quite a few different opinions, arguments and variations...

GOLFER - You break it you buy it... As a golfer one should foresee risk of property damage and assume the responsibility if the ball goes errant and breaks a window. Is this restricting golf to those who maintain control over their shot at all times? At least much more costly. Now, intentional damage for entertainment or other purposes is obviously a very different story.

HOMEOWNER - Thats what you get for living on a golf course! That house is restricting a damn good opportunity for a golf shot!!! haha. Everybody lets it slip, at least once in awhile. Make sure your homeowners policy can cover it if you're moving to a golf course. You wouldn't move to a beach and try to sue Mother Nature for damages after a hurricane. Extreme example, yes...

GOLF COURSE - As a business, these types of risks are assumed, right? Therefore, insurance coverage should be purchased for these instances. There aren't "ball control" guidelines on golf courses therefore a golfer shouldn't be held liable just because real estate developers want to make money. In addition, the golf course doesn't want to hear homeowners constant complaints about broken windows, so putting insurance coverage in place for this situation is the best way to avoid disruption to business.

Any thoughts/opinions?

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