You would never know it was storming here yesterday!

by | Apr 5, 2011

Janet Scott

It is so incredibly beautiful outside you would never think it stormed so hard yesterday except for the fact that it is really cold out now!  The cold front took over the south and stayed, in fact I think we heard it when it happened!  Brrrrr it is a cold one out but the sun is shining and I am sure it will be warmer than warm here soon enough so it is all good!

TIPS FOR THE DAY:

Kid’s Stuff: Are Cavities Contagious?

Colds, chickenpox, and even yawns are contagious. But did you know that cavities can be catchy too?

Despite your mother’s finger-wagging, sugar-laden candy bars aren’t the only cause of cavities. Tooth decay actually results when bacteria in your mouth feed on food debris (starchy, sticky foods are a primary culprit) and produce acid as a byproduct. This mix of food, acid, saliva, and germs clings to your teeth as a filmy substance called plaque, which can erode teeth enamel and cause cavities to form.

No matter what you eat, cavities won’t form without the help of such bacteria. These germs can spread from mouth to mouth via shared food and utensils, sneezing, kissing, and more, according to Edward “Trey” Wilson, DDS, a dentist in private practice in New York City and New Hope, Pa. — making cavities contagious.

One study in the Australian Dental Journal pegged tooth decay as one of the most common infectious oral diseases. Researchers found that 30 percent of 3-month-olds, 60 percent of 6-month-olds, and nearly 80 percent of 2-year-olds were infected with cavity-causing Streptococcus mutans bacteria, a strain that’s especially likely to cause cavities.

Researchers believe that children “caught” the germs from their mothers; those with a history of cavities were more likely to pass the bacteria along to their children.  Read more

Are You a Morning Person or a drag your bum out of bed person?

We all know everyone has a tendency to either enjoy the morning or the night, but either way we all still have to get up!  I grew up on a farm as a child so I am not sure which I would have been had I been given a choice, I am assuming a night person because that would be my preference but it was always “early to rise” at our house.  I can remember being woke up hearing, “rise and shine, it’s daylight in the swamp!”  Here are a couple tips I have learned over the years to help a little getting up and getting moving without looking like you just crawled out of bed.

1)  If you crave snacks before bed, never, never, never eat sugar.  Sugar will make you sleep hard but not restful.  Eat something with protein in it, not a lot but a little protein and you will find your sleep patterns will become more restful sleep not pass out sleep.

2)  When you wake up before and after your nice hot shower I would suggest rinsing a washcloth in cool water and holding it on your face.  If you have puffy or bloodshot eyes, hold it on your eyes and it will help reduce the puffiness and red eyes AND it will help wake you up!

3) To avoid that mid-day WOW I need a nap, drink water throughout your day.  You should take your weight and divide it in half and that is how many oz. you should drink of water a day.  (Example:  if you weigh 12o lbs. you should drink 60 oz. of water a day)

4)  A few morning stretches can also help you to wake up and keep your muscles in tune with the fact that it’s that time again!  You don’t have to turn this into a major work out or if you are like me that could mean you just won’t do it at all.  Do something simple like neck stretches when you are sitting having your breakfast and or coffee.  My chiropractor also gave me the tip of standing in the doorway and putting your hands on the sides of the doorway and leaning forward to stretch your pecks and it will help your posture.  I am going to check out some stretches my sister told me her and her husband do called T-Tapp, they love it and they seem to feel much better since they started, you can find them at www.t-tapp.com

RECIPES:

Potato Crust Quiche

Servings: 8         Prep Time: 20   Bake: 35 Time

Ingredients
CRUST:

  • 4 cups coarsely shredded uncooked potatoes (about 4 large)
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • FILLING:
  • 1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Colby cheese, divided
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1-1/2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
  • 1-1/2 cups fresh broccoli florets
  • 3 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup half-and-half cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Dash ground nutmeg
  • Paprika

Directions

  • In a large bowl, combine crust ingredients; press into a well-greased 10-in. deep dish pie plate. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes.
  • Remove from oven; reduce heat to 350°. Add 1 cup cheese, onion, ham and broccoli to pastry shell. Whisk the eggs, cream, salt and nutmeg; pour over broccoli. Sprinkle with paprika.
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Yield: 8 servings.

Simple Green Beans

This is seriously the most simple green bean recipe I have ever done and Bill and my kids love it!

You can adjust this recipe as it suits your taste and if you use fresh green beans use 2-3 boullion cubes per cup of water.

Directions:  Pour green beans into saucepan and for every 14.5 oz can of green beans add 2-3 beef boullion cubes.  Bring to a boil and serve.  It doesn’t get any more simple than that.  🙂

Chocolate-Peanut Butter  Butter-Oatmeal Munchies

Servings:  20 Cookies     Prep Time:  40 Min

INGREDIENTS
 

2/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg
1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated chocolate chip cookies
1/4 cup miniature candy-coated chocolate baking bits
1/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped salted peanuts
DIRECTIONS
  • 1Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, stir together peanut butter, oats, oil and egg. Break up cookie dough; add to peanut butter mixture. Add remaining ingredients; stir until well mixed.
  • 2On ungreased cookie sheets, drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart. Press with fingers to flatten slightly.
  • 3Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until golden brown and edges are just set (tops will not look done). Do not overbake. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.
For variety, you could use raisins instead of dried cranberries, and chopped pretzels instead of peanuts.
Store these moist cookies in an airtight container.
I have added my Bible STudy to the blog for those who prefer to blog vs. email and I will be updating my blog 3 times a week with tips and recipes I find.  Have a great day!
God Bless,
Janet

0 Comments