Goober Pea Butter? Really?

Goundnut. Earth nut. Monkey nut. Pygmy nut. Pig nut. And one with which I'm sure we're all familiar...GOOBER PEAS!

The peanut!  But wait, it isn't a nut at all, but a member of the pea family, making it a vegetable.  Who'da thought?

Regardless of all of that, (and my apologies for those allergic as you're probably getting the itch just looking at these pictures), the peanut is very versatile and tasty addition to our pantry.  In fact, as part of the weekly food storage plan put together by our ward's e-prep folks, this week buy a bottle or two of peanut butter to add to your larder.  Be sure it's "smooth" and not "crunchy" as crunchy will go rancid much (much) faster. 

However... if you live in the great state of Georgia, where we produce nearly 1/2 of all the peanuts used in the US (in 2012 that adds up to hefty 6.1 billion pounds) you may even get the notion to make your own peanut butter.  It is soooo much more delicious than the store-bought kind that is full of sugar, bad oils, and sometimes whipped up like frosting.  After years of eating the "natural" stuff myself, the bottled name-brands can taste a little like plastic to me.

As Joy Watkins, of Joy the Baker, says, "This recipe is so easy that I almost feel bad typing it out for you.  In essence, if you throw shelled peanuts into a food processor, with or without a pinch of salt, whirl it up for several minutes, you’ll have the magic of peanut butter in your kitchen."

Find great recipes (just as easy as Joy says) at Joy the Baker (she also has some variations that can make it more kid palatable as you switch them over) and PickYourOwn.org, where you can also find area farms where you can indeed pick your own fruits and vegetables.

Here's a sample of how simple it really is:  About a pound of shelled peanuts, a bit of salt, and a bit of vegetable oil if needed (olive oil changes the taste).   Blend.Blend.Blend.  Store in an airtight container in your frig for weeks (and weeks) or you can even freeze it. 

Do check out the two above sites, or do your own web search (Joy has a awesome recipe for Honey Roasted PNB -- YUM!) and let us know your results. 

Then go make some of these: 

We'll be very happy to taste test them for you. 



georgiapeanuts.com



(Please be sure to share your experiences, tips, suggestions... have you ever made your own PNB?)

Proper Blogging Protocol



etc.usf.edu

 Don't know about you, but I have really come to enjoy many blogs out there.  I, like you, have my special interests, both personal and business, and have really learned a tremendous amount by reading all the information pulled together and shared.  Some are so highly entertaining that I enjoy reading them just for the entertainment value.

For many, blogging is business (and sometimes BIG business).  And many put a lot of time and effort into their blogs to make them interesting, fun, and informative -- and revenue generating.

We started this little "unofficial" blog here to simply share information from the members of our local church unit (called a "ward") among ourselves and anyone else interested.  There is no intention to make money.  So anyone who really wants to share this information is very welcome to do so (although we would ask you give credit to the author of the particular blog post please). 

That said, there is a blogging protocol and we would like let people know that we fully intend to follow it.  One "unwritten rule" is that you don't copy and paste other blogger's content (or even retype their content) without specific permission, and always (ALWAYS) give credit.  The correct protocol is to direct the reader (via links) to the other blog so the reader can gather the information from the source.  Plus have the opportunity to view other insightful or entertaining information.

Again, the goal of this blog is to have our ward members share information and knowledge they have gathered through their experience, but we will have some posts where we will reference other bloggers' sites and provide click-through links.  We don't sell anything, don't intend to, and if we have a link to something it will be a "freebie."  (But we think terrific ones!)

I hope this all makes sense.  If you have any questions please feel free to contact us!

Make it Yourself Dishwasher & Laundry Soaps

Contributed by Katrina Gowen

How many of us wish we could save money at the same time trying to be a little more healthy?  We all know of friends or even family members who have suddenly developed allergies to their laundry soap or other soap they are using and have a tough time finding something that still cleans but won't cost an arm and 10 legs.  

Here are some recipes that might just help you save some money and help with those allergies, not to mention the pocket book if it ever gets to the point where you can't afford store bought soaps.  Fels Naptha at Walmart is $.97 a bar, the baking soda for a big box was around $2-$3, as was the borax and the washing soda.   The following are just a few of the many recipes I found online at sites like Tipnut and Frugal Living.

Dishwasher- Automatic Single Batch

1 TBS Borax

1 TBS Baking Soda

Use this in each soap compartment 

Dishwasher- Automatic Large Batch

1 box Borax

1 box Baking soda

Use enough to fill both compartments

*************

(*Editor's Note:  Powdered laundry soaps work best when you add it to an empty washer and let it fill part way with water so the powder is allowed to dissolve and distribute throughout.  Although your mileage may vary.)

Laundry Soap- Powdered Small Batch
2 cups Fels Naptha Soap (finely grated) – you could also try Ivory, Kirk's Castile or Zotes
1 cup Washing Soda
1 cup Borax

• Mix well and store in an airtight plastic container.
• Use 2 tablespoons per full load.

Laundry Soap- Powdered Large Batch

12 cups Borax
8 cups Baking Soda
8 cups Washing Soda
8 cups Bar soap (grated)

• Mix all ingredients well and store in a sealed tub.
• Use 1/8 cup of powder per full load.

Laundry Soap- Liquid

1 cup Vinegar (white)
1 cup Baking Soda
1 cup Washing Soda
1/4 cup liquid castile soap

• Mix well and store in sealed container.
• I find it easiest to pour the liquid soap into the bowl first, stirred in the washing soda, then baking soda, then added the vinegar in small batches at a time (the recipe foams up at first). The mixture is a thick paste at first that will break down into a heavy powdered detergent, just keep stirring. There may be some hard lumps, try to break them down when stirring (it really helps to make sure the baking soda isn’t clumpy when first adding). I used 1/2 cup per full load with great results.

(*Editor's Note:  And then get creative and display your soaps in beautiful and fun containers like this!) 

 

swoonstylehome.com



Emergency Preparedness Fair!

(Warner Robins II Building)

PERRY PRIMARY PARTY! WOOT WOOT!!

A little bird told us that our Primary Kids have done such an awesome job increasing their reverence, helping during Primary, increasing their faith, learning new songs, and participating that they have earned a full-on whoop-it-up PARTY!!!

 

WE'RE ALL SO PROUD OF YOU!

Our sincere and heartfelt thanks, too, to our wonderful, awesome, and exceptionally talented Primary Leaders and Teachers, who have made all this possible.<3

Prepper's Tips -- Weekly Goal April 8, 2012

Lotsa pasta!!!  I love pasta.  Pasta is really part of a balanced diet, too.  Try whole wheat pasta.  Compared to a few years ago, the varieties of wheat pasta are light and great tasting.  (When I first started to try wheat pasta is was very heavy and so strong tasting that it was hard to get used to!)

So add pasta to your food storage this week.  VERY INEXPENSIVE!  Yummy!  Kids love it!  It's good for quick energy.  Look for BOGO sales (buy one, get one).  Pasta will keep for a long, long time, which stored correctly.  Does anyone know how long? 

Fresh Herb Pesto

Here's the third entry to the Triple Crown...  Roasted Tomato Sauce, Homemade Ricotta Cheese, and Fresh Herb Pesto.  All so simple, whole-foods ingredients, and just about all ingredients can be in your food storage.  Snag the recipe and how-to here at CountryLiving.com.

Makes 3/4 cup.  Working time 10 min.  Total time 10 min.  (Really?  Is that all?)

Homemade Ricotta

Have you ever made cheese?  I know a few in our ward have made just about anything known to man, and I am in awe of them.  Me?  Not so much.  But this looks easy enough for even for me! 

Makes 3 cups.  Working time 10 min. Total Time 15 min.

"This fresh homemade cheese makes a great topping for pasta, pizza, or even just a few pieces of crusty, toasted bread." 

Homemade Ricotta Recipe - Country Living

Oh my... combine this with the Roasted Tomato Sauce and the upcoming Pesto recipe with some yummy warm crusty bread?  Yes please!

Roasted Tomato Sauce

This is one of three crazy good and easy recipes brought to our attention by Ana Vasquez (she is an amazing cook...).  You can find the recipe and "how to" here at CountryLiving.com. This makes 3 cups, "working time" is 10 min.  Total prep time 1 hr. 40 min.

So here's a recipe to use all your garden goodness that is starting to bloom out.  You can refrigerate this for up to two weeks, and of course freeze it.

Look for the Homemade Ricotta and Fresh Herb Pesto blog posts...

Prepper's Tips -- Weekly Goal April 1, 2012

Do you know how much toothpaste you and your family use?  How about floss (what you actually used, which for most families would maybe be one container and that's just because Mom used it for a craft!)?  Razor blades, shaving cream, etc.?

Well that's our goal this week.  Toiletries.  Do a little test and write the date on a new tube of toothpaste and then note when it's gone.  Voila!  Using that number you can figure out what you use in a three month, six month, and year long period.  That is now the goal for you to have in your storage.  Same with any other item.  Yes, a bit of work (put a reminder on your calendar to check it again), but once you have the number you don't need to do that again!

Here's another tip -- the amount of toothpaste you see gobbed out in the TV commercials is TOTAL OVERKILL!  Only use a "pea" sized dab, and that is plenty.

Remember if there is a loss of power those wonderful electric shavers won't work, so stock up on disposables.  And actually floss has lots and lots of uses, too, so a little extra wouldn't hurt.

Got it?
1.  Toothpaste
2.  Floss
3.  Razor blades
4.  Shaving cream
5.  Mouthwash (if you already use it!)
6. Extra toothbrushes if you're storing for six months to a year

Preppers Tips -- Weekly Goal March 25, 2012

Spice is the Variety of Life!

You may only be able to store certain foods, and may have family who only eat certain foods (read kiddos!), but using the right spices makes all the difference in the world and can change a simple piece of chicken (or canned chicken) into something so savory.  You do not need to be a gourmet with recipes a mile long to make a dish everyone will love.  It all comes down to using the right spices and herbs.

Beautiful color and variety of spices

And that is what our goal is this week -- storing herbs and spices you use on a regular basis.  Never, ever store things that you haven't tried or won't use regularly.  Just doesn't make sense!  For us, besides regular salt and pepper, it's seasoned salt, garlic salt/powder, onion salt/powder and dried onions, Italian spices, etc.  Look at your shopping list and see what you use all the time.

What about storing?  What's the shelf life?  Google search provided many good sites full of information.  I found the below at FareShare Home:  Spice Rack Shelf Life...

GENERAL SHELF LIFE GUIDELINES

• SPICES:
  • Ground Spices 1 - 3 years.
  • Whole Spices 4 years.
    
• HERBS: Green Leafy 1 - 3 years.
• SEEDS: 3 - 4 years.
• EXTRACTS: 4 years.
• SEASONING BLENDS: 1 - 2 years.
• FOIL PRODUCTS: 12 - 24 months.

They also say to NEVER store vanilla or vanilla beans in the refrigerator, but DO store members of the red pepper (capsicums) like paprika and chilli powder in the frig to keep color and prevent infestation.

Store air tight and out of sight!  If you have wonderful spice racks that sit on the counter, be sure they are never in direct sunlight.

The only spices that come in cans anymore is black pepper.  If you have cans of spices in your cabinet just know that their potency is most likely compromised (they haven't been using cans for spices in years).  I ended up pitching a few that my JH had when we got married.  Never know how long a bachelor has had anything like that on the shelf!  :)

As always, thanks so much to Karon Carlson for providing this weekly plan and setting up the display at church each week.  She and Desi Ellis have great information regarding storage, gardening, canning, food sources so please don't hesitate to contact them for more information...

Bon appetit!

General Conference Countdown

The Semi-Annual General Conference for our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in just a week away.  This year the two day event is scheduled for March 31 & April 1.  There are four "general " sessions, each two hours long, over the two days:  (All times here are Eastern US) 12pm-2pm and 4pm-6pm both Saturday and Sunday.  A priesthood session is held Saturday evening at 8pm.  If you have BYU TV or the internet, or have a friend who does, all sessions will be televised and you may watch from the comfort of your couch in your jammies, if you'd like.  All church buildings will also be showing all sessions; please remember you will be in the chapel so plan appropriately.  

There are great resources shared out there to heighten our conference experience.  One blogger said that when she was a girl her mother would take her aside the week before conference and ask her to write down a few things that concerned her or prayers she wanted answers for.  Her mother counseled her to look for those answers during conference.  She is now doing the same with her sons.  I love that idea!

Here are but a few and the many resources out there, most of which have free printables and work for all ages. 

Sugardoodle.net has an incredible number of General Conference Helps for each auxiliary.  She even has a "2012 General Conference Knowledge Value Project" packet.  Amazing....

VisitingTeaching.net has fun stuff for grownups (or groan-ups!).  There is a great General Conference Journal Page that is like a mind-map and provides spaces for quotes, scriptures, inspirations, notes, and goals.  And a topic "cloud" for the page. 

PreparedNotScared.blogspot.com went all out and provides very nice printable composition book covers and divider pages for boys (blue) and girls (pink).  Print them out and glue/tape it to an inexpensive composition book.  She also has a "Mother's Conference Journal" she created last year that uses a 3 ring binder.  Very fun, colorful, and useful tools.  Making it pretty AND useful!

Don't forget you can find more ideas for children on lds.org and access the Friend Magazine. 

The key here is to prepare ourselves mentally and spiritually, and help our families and friends do the same.

Do you have any tips to share on making Conference weekend special 

for yourself and your family?  Please share! 

Preppers Tips -- Goal for the Week, March 18, 2012

     BAKING MIXES! 

Cake, pancake, muffin... you get the picture.  What self-respecting food storage would be without?  Not only can you buy them (look for sales and coupons!), but there are great websites that show you how you can make your own.  Remember these can get buggy, so store them correctly in cool, dry areas.  I actually put mine (box and all) in a plastic zip lock bag.  Which I continually reuse. 

Do you want to make your own?  Check out this site -- "Fake-It Frugal" -- she has recipes such as:

Fake Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookies:

1 Cup Flour
1/4 Cup White Sugar
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
3/4 Cup Chocolate Chips

Mix together and store in a quart size ziplock bag. Write instructions on the bag to add: 1 Stick Softened Butter, 1 Large Egg, 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract. Mix & Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes


How about another reason to store cake mixes?  You can make "1-2-3 Cake" -- this one has several versions, but this one is compliments of thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com   Mix ONE box Angel Food Cake Mix, ONE box of another favorite cake mix (she shows Devil's Food -- get it?) in a ziplock bag or storage bowl.  When you want a single serving of this yummy cake, add 3 tablespoons of this mixture with 2 tablespoons of water in a small cup or mug and cook for 1 minute in the microwave...  Hence "3-2-1!"

Enjoy!

Preppers Tips -- Goal for the Week

This is a great one. Actually, all that KC puts together for us are easy and doable.  Really, REALLY appreciate the displays that are set up each week.  I don't remember the little signs, but I do remember (have a visual) of the items to center on.

This week work on your FIRST AID kits. There are any number of sites on the internet that will give you lists of what should be in your kits.  I got the below from  The Mayo Clinic site.  Awesome information and very complete

Also remember to periodically check your kits and restock what's been used and what is past the expiration.  If you use it frequently, of course, restock it frequently.  Mayo Clinic recommends every three months. 

How many kits?  Start with one in your home.  Add kits in each car.  Definitely one go into your 72 Hour Kit. Gather what you have in your home already and compare it to the list of needs.  Then add to your grocery list what is needed and check it off.

If you want more information let us know.  We have a terrific Emergency Prep team of experts in the Perry Ward.

Basic supplies

• Adhesive tape
• Antibiotic ointment
• Antiseptic solution or towelettes
• Bandages, including a roll of elastic wrap (Ace, Coban, others) and bandage strips (Band-Aid, Curad, others) in assorted sizes
• Instant cold packs
• Cotton balls and cotton-tipped swabs
• Disposable latex or synthetic gloves, at least two pairs
• Duct tape
• Gauze pads and roller gauze in assorted sizes
• Eye goggles
• First-aid manual
• Petroleum jelly or other lubricant
• Plastic bags for the disposal of contaminated materials
• Safety pins in assorted sizes
• Tooth preservation kit consisting of salt solution and a sealable travel case
• Scissors, tweezers and a needle
• Soap or instant hand sanitizer
• Sterile eyewash, such as a saline solution
• Thermometer
• Triangular bandage
• Turkey baster or other bulb suction device for flushing out wounds

Medications

• Activated charcoal (use only if instructed by your poison control center)
• Aloe vera gel
• Anti-diarrhea medication
• Over-the-counter oral antihistamine (Benadryl, others)
• Aspirin and nonaspirin pain relievers (never give aspirin to children)
• Calamine lotion
• Over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream
• Personal medications that don't need refrigeration
• If prescribed by your doctor, drugs to treat an allergic attack, such as an auto-injector of epinephrine (EpiPen)
• Syringe, medicine cup or spoon

Emergency items

• Cell phone and recharger that uses the accessory plug in your car dash
• Emergency phone numbers, including contact information for your family doctor and pediatrician, local emergency services, emergency road service providers and the regional poison control center
• Medical consent forms for each family member
• Medical history forms for each family member
• Small, waterproof flashlight and extra batteries
• Candles and matches for cold climates
• Sunscreen
• Mylar emergency blanket
• First-aid instruction manual

Preppers Tips -- Solid Shortening Tips...

A couple weeks ago our food storage goal for the week was solid shortening.  Like Crisco.  Found out that it will keep for 25-30 years on the shelf (shocker!) if stored correctly (cool, dry, unopened) and do get the kind in the plastic and not cardboard/paper container.  Oh, and NOT the butter flavored kind.

Another thing I just found out...  you can use it as a light source!  Yup, stick a wick in the can and it will burn for 45 days.  Go figure!  How about sticking a candle down in the can?  Would that work, too?  I have several half burned candles that would fit perfectly.

Being prepared is all manageable taken a step at a time, but we have to take the step!

This is a fun handout dietitians give to parents from which I like to get ideas for myself. I put the reference because they're picky about replication-but I am allowed to give it out! It's nice for a mom or grandma to have new ideas for fun, yet healthy snacks. Some of these would also be great for a playgroup or preschool. Have fun!

Food, Nutrition and Health Tips from the American Dietetic Association

25 Healthy Snacks for Kids

When a snack attack strikes, refuel with these nutrition-packed snacks.

Easy, Tasty (and Healthy) Snacks

1. Peel a banana and dip it in yogurt. Roll in crushed cereal and freeze.
2. Spread celery sticks with peanut butter or low-fat cream cheese. Top with raisins. Enjoy your “ants on a log.”

3. Stuff a whole-grain pita pocket with ricotta cheese and Granny Smith apple slices. Add a dash of cinnamon.
4. Mix together ready-to-eat cereal, dried fruit and nuts in a sandwich bag for an on-the-go snack.
5. Smear a scoop of frozen yogurt on two graham crackers and add sliced banana to make a yummy sandwich.
6. Top low-fat vanilla yogurt with crunchy granola and sprinkle with blueberries.
7. Microwave a small baked potato. Top with reduced-fat cheddar cheese and salsa.
8. Make snack kabobs. Put cubes of low-fat cheese and grapes on pretzel sticks.
9. Toast a whole grain waffle and top with low-fat yogurt and sliced peaches.
10. Spread peanut butter on apple slices.
11. Blend low-fat milk, frozen strawberries and a banana for thirty seconds for a delicious smoothie.
12. Make a mini-sandwich with tuna or egg salad on a dinner roll.
13. Sprinkle grated Monterey Jack cheese over a corn tortilla; fold in half and microwave for twenty seconds. Top with salsa.
14. Toss dried cranberries and chopped walnuts in instant oatmeal.
15. Mix together peanut butter and cornflakes in a bowl. Shape into balls and roll in crushed
graham crackers.
16. Microwave a cup of tomato or vegetable soup and enjoy with whole grain crackers.
17. Fill a waffle cone with cut-up fruit and top with low-fat vanilla yogurt.
18. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on hot popcorn.
19. Banana Split: Top a banana with low-fat vanilla and strawberry frozen yogurt. Sprinkle
with your favorite whole-grain cereal.
20. Sandwich Cut-Outs: Make a sandwich on whole grain bread. Cut out your favorite
shape using a big cookie cutter. Eat the fun shape and the edges, too!
21. Spread mustard on a flour tortilla. Top with a slice of turkey or ham, low-fat cheese and
lettuce. Then roll it up.
22. Mini Pizza: Toast an English muffin, drizzle with pizza sauce and sprinkle with low-fat
mozzarella cheese.
23. Rocky Road: Break a graham cracker into bite-size pieces. Add to low-fat chocolate pudding along with a few miniature marshmallows.
24. Inside-Out Sandwich: Spread mustard on a slice of deli turkey. Wrap around a sesame
breadstick.
25. Parfait: Layer vanilla yogurt and mandarin oranges or blueberries in a tall glass. Top with a sprinkle of granola.

This tip sheet is provided by:

The American Dietetic Association is the world’s largest

organization of food and nutrition professionals.

ADA is committed to improving the nation’s health and

advancing the profession of dietetics through research,

education and advocacy.

For a referral to a registered dietitian and for

additional food and nutrition information visit

www.eatright.org.

Authored by American Dietetic Association staff registered dietitians.

Please Join Us For Jennifer Taylor's Baby Shower!

Jennifer is still in need of bath soap, diapers,wipes, nursing pads, hats, socks, newborn mittens, swaddling blankets, pacifers, platex bottle refills/milk storage bags.. and anything girly of course!  If you are able to make it to the shower or want to contribute to a group gift,  please call Megan Taupa'u at 580-919-0544, email her at megan.taupau@gmail.com, or FB her.  This way we can be sure that we save enough seats. :)  See you there!!

Need Your Pictures From The Holiday Party?

Email Mary Hildebrand at ohpiffle@gmail.com.  Request must be made via email so that Mary can send them to you electronically.

Thanks!

Do You Do The 12 Days Of Christmas??

If you like sneaking around making your family and friends happy, this 12 day Christmas gift idea list will make your mission possible! 
Though many people celebrate the twelve days of Christmas starting on the 13th or 14th of December (depending on whether they want to deliver the last gift on Christmas Eve or Christmas day), the 12 Days of Christmas actually start with Christmas Day and finish  on 5th January. I guess I would like getting gifts no matter when they came!

Whichever you choose, you should drop off the first 12 day Christmas gift idea with a letter or poem explaining the operation and how you plan to carry it out. You can do things a couple of ways:

• During a time when you don't think you will be noticed (check for anyone following you), drop off each daily gift on the recipient's porch or doorstep. In your first note, inform them that they should under no circumstances try to find you out. If they do, they risk the whole mission being called off. Your identity will be revealed on the 12th day of Christmas cheer.
• If you will be unable to get the gifts to them each day, hide the gifts inside their home or with an insider (family member/room mate). Each day, enlist the help of one stranger to help you call the recipient and inform them of that day's gift location. One lady says, "Bank tellers, librarians, receptionists, local business owners and literally a stranger near a payphone were all willing to call for me to keep my identity a secret until the last day."

Here is my 12 Day Christmas Gift Idea List:
1. A Partridge in a Pear Tree - Can of pears, basket of fresh pears, or just a single pear with a Partridge Family Christmas CD or a small bird ornament
2. Two Turtle Doves - Turtle candies and Dove chocolates or Dove soap
3. Three French Hens - Gift certificate to KFC or another chicken restaurant, video of Chicken Run, cornish game hens, a hen plush toy with a little beret and French flag you make out of felt, homemade chicken dinner with French bread
4. Four Calling Birds - Cell phone cases, candy cell phones, phone book, clock that makes bird noises
5. Five Golden Rings - Gold napkin rings with winter napkins, donuts, can of pineapple rings, butterscotch lifesavers, gift certificate for onion rings
6. Six Geese a-Laying - Filled plastic eggs, chocolate cream-filled eggs, six eggs in a basket plus ingredients for omelets
7. Seven Swans a-Swimming - Origami swans made out of gift certificates, swan soaps, Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake CD, bubble bath and a rubber duckie with a note attached explaining "this swan was in his ugly ducking stage"
8. Eight Maids a-Milking - Merry Maids gift certificate, jug of chocolate milk, eight different milk products, milk maid caramels, bath milk bubble bath
9. Nine Ladies Dancing - nine pairs of socks for their tired feet, ladyfinger cookies, Nutcracker book or video, Pirouette wafer cookies
10. Ten Lords a-Leaping - Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance CD or DVD, something with frogs, jar of hoppin' John soup mix,
11. Eleven Pipers Piping - Christmas CD with bagpipes, bubble pipes and bubble solution,
12. Twelve Drummers Drumming - Ice cream called Drumsticks, drum of popcorn, drum ornament, CD of bandmusic

How to Avoid Weight Gain During the Yummy Holidays

Yummy, decadent food is all around this time of year. For 5 weeks we struggle to keep our weight down. Here are some tips to help keep the pounds off:

• Don't try to lose weight till the New Year, instead focus on not gaining weight
• Don't go to a party or gathering with food if you're hungry. Saving up all day will lead to overeating
• Plan ahead for food gatherings-decide beforehand what you will and won't eat
• Eat a healthy breakfast! 
• Delay having a treat until after you've eaten a meal
• Drink a glass of water before having another treat-it will help fill you up
• Choose hot chocolate over eggnog, preferably sugar-free hot chocolate. Add some light cream if you like
• If you love your eggnog, thin it by adding low-fat milk
• Don't stop exercising. If you don't exercise, take walks, play sports, Wii Fit, or something active with your family especially on days when there will be lots of food
• Don't stand by the food table, you will be tempted to snack, rather make yourself a plate and include some healthier options along with the treats
• Cook with low fat milks, soups, sour creams, and cream cheeses
• When confronted with a plate of treats, choose 3 and make them small bites
• Make sure you get enough sleep. Not getting enough sleep is related to unhealthy eating/snacking