Another Tuna Salad recipe

Here's a tuna recipe my sister sent me that we can try; she made it and said it was really good.

INGREDIENTS
1 (6 ounce) can tuna, drained and flaked
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon curry powder
1 dash garlic powder
2 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted
1 cup chow mein noodles
Lettuce Leaves

DIRECTIONS
In a bowl, combine tuna, peas, celery and onions. In another bowl, combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, soy sauce, curry powder and garlic powder; stir into tuna mixture. Stir in almonds; top with noodles. Serve on lettuce if desired.

My Throw-Together Lasagna Success Story

I've always been a fan of lasagna. Pasta, cheese, tomato sauce -- who could resist? Well, Thursday I had lasagna on the brain. We hadn't had lasagna in ages. Plus, with working on the house right now, we're doing a lot of "satisficing" with meals -- so my first thought was to pick up a frozen lasagna at the store on my way out the house. We do have an oven in the house we're able to use, so I figured I could heat that up and that would be our supper.

When I got to the frozen food aisle, I wasn't completely satisfied with either the prices or the ingredients on my lasagna choices. Then, a brainstorm: I wonder if I could put a lasagna together for us? Worst case scenario: I learned it didn't work. But, it ended up turning out really well! We were even able to share leftovers with David's family, and they liked it too. It's definitely a do-over! (In fact, I bought ingredients tonight to make it again this week.)

Here's what I did -- oh, let me give you the ingredients list first:

1 box wheat lasagna noodles (you'll only use half)
1 jar pasta sauce (I used a chunky kind)
1 large carton cottage cheese
1 2 cup bag shredded mozzarella cheese
1 bag frozen spinach (I used half)
1 container baby portabella mushrooms (I used half)

In my (foil, disposable) baking pan, first I put down a layer of pasta sauce, enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Then I put four uncooked lasagna noodles, which worked out right for my size pan. Then, I put a layer of cottage cheese, then mozzarella cheese, then spinach and mushrooms. Then another layer of noodles and another layer of sauce, the rest of the cottage cheese and some mozzarella (but save some for the top), another layer of noodles, then more spinach and mushrooms and cheese. Well, that may not be exactly right, but something like that. I covered it and baked it for about 30 minutes at 350, give or take -- and yummy!

I was trying to think about other veggies that would be good in this, too. I think some small carrot bits would be good. Cooked bell pepper and onion would be good. You could always add a meat layer or two, too. I just didn't want to fool with it, and we didn't miss it.

So tonight at the store I only had to buy cottage cheese and mozzarella cheese and pasta sauce; I had the other ingredients already left over from Attempt #1.

So, now we have a recipe for an unbelievable lasagna -- tasty and unbelievably easy! (And not TOO terribly expensive, either.) You'll have to let me know if you try it.

Tuna Stuffed Tomatoes

This sounds like a good idea: (from a Yahoo group I've joined)

Mix 2 cans tuna, shredded carrots, raisins, maybe some diced apple and mayonaise. Then hollow out tomatoes and chop up the middle part you took out and add it to the tuna. Mix it well. Then stuff the tuna mixture back into the tomatoes. These are good served with just crackers or with mac and cheese.

Vitamin D and Cancer

"An exciting study was published this week in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that indicates that getting enough Vitamin D is important for reducing one's risk of cancer."

Read Vreni Gurd's article online at http://blog.wellnesstips.ca/blog/index.php/?p=130

Apples - Peel and all

Traditionally, apple peels have been considered healthy because of their fiber content, as the peel contains about 75 percent of the dietary fiber in an apple. But a recent study has shown that the peel also contains most of the beneficial phytochemicals responsible for apples' anticarcinogenic effects.

Scientists processed more than 200 pounds of Red Delicious apples, and extracted phytochemicals from about 24 pounds of peel. They screened the compounds for anti-cancer effects in laboratory cultures of human liver, breast, and colon cancer cells, and identified a group of compounds with potent anti-cancer properties.

Specifically, 13 triterpenoids from the peels of Red Delicious apples were identified and confirmed to be highly effective against cancer. Exactly how and why these biochemicals seek and destroy cancer cells is still unknown. Apple consumption has previously been linked to a reduced risk of lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke.

Commercial Cream

I enjoyed this video -- cute and informative -- and wanted to share:

http://v.mercola.com/blogs/public_blog/Do-You-Really-Want-to-Use-Commercial-Cream--19965.aspx

Groceries: My List

Things I keep on hand and buy regularly (usually weekly):
eggs, bread, peanut butter, canned tomatoes/sauce/paste, fresh produce (fruits and veggies: bananas, apples, other produce in season or on sale), yogurt or cottage cheese, fruit juices, and lately, cranberries and cream cheese

Things I keep on hand but don't buy weekly (but usually at least monthly):
honey, canned tuna, rice, pasta, dried beans, popcorn, frozen veggies and fruit, wheat and rye flour, corn meal, baking powder, raisins, applesauce, chips and salsa, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, sandwich pitas,

Things I occasionally buy but don't try to keep on hand:
mixed nuts for snacking, almonds or walnuts or pecans for salads or baking, tortillas

Things I occasionally buy and freeze until I use:
meat and fish (I buy on sale and then freeze -- so I usually have some available, but I rarely actually buy)

I'll try to add to this as I think of other things and make updates as needed ....

I've Been Sick

Between working on the house, drinking too much coffee, and not getting much sleep, I managed to bring a kidney infection upon myself. It's self-diagnosed; but I did an online search and every one of my symptoms were on the lists I read -- and I had several noticeable symptoms. Even though I didn't have every symptom listed, there were no symptoms I had that were not mentioned. So I can be fairly confident that's what it was/is.

It got me really down. It started with the usual "urinary tract" stuff, the obvious: having to go to the bathroom all the time, then a few days later I started to burn, then my lower back started hurting. This all started the afternoon before Bible School began at church -- perfect timing! I made it all through Bible School week alright, though. The Lord really blessed. Saturday I was feeling pretty good and we went out to the house to work. I overdid it -- unintentionally, of course, but I did. I painted and drank too much coffee and stayed up way too late. So Sunday I paid for it. First I was really sleepy in church Sunday morning (this was last Sunday). I did get to nap Sunday afternoon, and we had a Bible School service Sunday night. After that, we came home, and I was sick. I was running fever, achy, yucky, uncomfortable, and then started having chills. That ended up being my worst of all this.

Monday morning I started back to school. (There's no rest for the weary!) Once again, though, the Lord really blessed. Monday class went fine. I felt okay. But by the time I got home, I was wiped out. I slept and slept. Tuesday class was not quite as good, but okay; Tuesday night I felt a little better. My classes each day got progressively worse and my evenings got progressively better. Hmm! Thursday in class I was obviously sick. I made it, and everything's okay, but I couldn't fake not feeling good to the students. But Thursday night I felt like joining Mom and Dad for supper. Friday I was sleepy and took a long afternoon nap, but the evening went well, and yesterday and today have gone well. I've felt much more like myself than I have in a while. This has lasted two full weeks! But I had read that they take a while to go away.

I wanted to share what I did. (What I didn't do: go to the doctor or take antibiotics. Not that I wouldn't have, but I wanted to try it this way first.) First, I drank lots of water. Most of the time I would add some or all of this: a drop or two of grapefruit seed extract (I keep this on hand and take it regularly; I also give it to Jayden regularly in her juice cup), some lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, and maybe a little juice: usually cranberry, sometimes pomegranate or orange. I wanted to drink cranberry juice but I was concerned about the sugar (the juice I found at Brookshire's was 100% juice, but not all cranberry juice, so it was still pretty sweet, and I was getting juices and sugar I didn't really need). So I only drank diluted cranberry juice, and not all the time. Second, I ate hardly any meat or dairy or other animal products. I can't say I didn't get any, but I didn't get much. I even limited my butter, which usually we use a lot in cooking. It was good to pull out the olive oil a little more than we had been, though. We really don't eat much meat or dairy anyway, but I ate even less this week. I had a few days of none, but not the whole week. Third, I didn't drink any coffee. I haven't had ANY since Monday, I know. This is unusual for me. But it hasn't been hard. I haven't wanted any. It's not worth it. I haven't had other tea or caffeine, either, except for the one cup of green tea I fixed that then I iced down and diluted -- mmm! I like it this way for a summer drink (with a little honey in it, too). Fourth, I really watched my sugar. I tried not to get any except for a little honey I would use sparingly and the natural sugars in fruit and juices. As far as what I did eat, I focused on veggies, especially fresh veggies, and a few fruits: celery, pineapple, apples. I did take a peanut butter sandwich to school with me a few days (which is not health-promoting as far as I know, but it wasn't animal and I like it, and I don't think it's health destroying; maybe just neutral! =-> .) I think that was my lunch most days this week: a peanut butter sandwich on whole-wheat toast, several celery sticks, and an apple. For breakfast I would have some oatmeal and maybe some toast, sometimes with fruit (banana or grapes or pineapple). For supper -- well, I didn't have much of an appetite, really, and I slept a lot -- and David wasn't here much from working on the house, so I didn't have to cook -- so I can't remember for sure, but I don't think I ate much for supper. Thursday night at Wendy's, when I was feeling better, I got a plain baked potato, a side salad, and a small chili, and poured my chili on top of my salad and potato. I like it that way! That was a good supper. And one day for lunch David brought me a turkey sub filled with veggies. Friday I didn't eat much until supper - Chili Verde! We got the veggie fajitas, mmm.

Other than diet, the main thing I did was take probiotics. I took two every day and I think they made a really big difference. I also took some garlic tabs and some cranberry capsules, but only periodically. I took some Tylenol and applied peppermint oil for the fever and took a bath with vinegar water the night I felt really bad. I had lots of ups and downs with symptoms. Mostly though the "feeling bad" seemed to be related to the fever, which I could control fairly well with the Tylenol and peppermint oil. Other than that I just felt a little yucky and tired, not really bad.

This has all been an experience for me, so I wanted to share. If I can help answer questions, I'll do my best!

God bless you!
Aleecia

Really Good Budget-Stretching Hints for the Kitchen

Here are some really good ideas for stretching your food budget a little further:

Article: Using Leftovers Wisely, by Terri Cheney
http://www.frugalsimplicity.com/article1020.html