What a difference a day makes!

Look what appeared overnight! Gotta love this crazy weather - NOT! Oh well at least it should be gone by later today. Hopefully that is the last we see of ice & snow for quite a while!

Getting in shape

I have decided I am not waiting until we get the basement area done. I have started doing one of Leslie Sansone's walking dvds & Wii Fit Plus. Currently I do the dvd one day and the Wii the other. I really like the fit plus, I can do the free walk while watching tv - much better than walking outside in this crazy weather!
I started Monday the 1st. I will post my progress weekly. Who know, maybe by swimsuit season I may actually want to put one on! : )

Great winter soup!

I found this recipe in Taste of Home's Healthy Cooking magazine February/March issue. It is from Sheryl Olenick of Demarest, NJ.
Lasgna Soup
1lb ground beef
1 large green pepper chopped
1 medium onion chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
2 cans (14-1/2 oz each) reduced sodium beef broth
2 cans (14-1/2 oz each) diced tomatoes
1 can (8oz) tomato sauce
1 cup frozen corn
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tsp. italian seasoning
1/4 tsp pepper
2-1/2 cups uncooked spiral pasta
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1. In a large saucepan, cook the beef, green pepper, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Drain.
2.  Stir in the broth, tomatoes,tomato sauce, corn, tomato paste, Italian seasoning and pepper. Bring to a boil. Stir in pasta, return to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 to 12 minutes or until pasta is tender. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.*

*We used a blend of mozzarella, asiago & parmesan cheese so it was more like my regular lasgna.

Setting up a home gym

Well after alot of procrastinating, husband agrees we need to exercise and get in shape. He was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes about 8 months ago. His blood sugar isn't terribly high - yet. He is on medication but does not need insulin. So we are hoping to get it under control or even reverse it with exercise and eating better. So, we are going to finish the partial basement into an exercise area. I already have an eliptical, but he doesn't like to use it because he says it makes his knees hurt. We also have a Wii with the Fit board & Sports Resort. I like the Wii because I can do different things each day. I am also wanting to get the Fit plus. I also have a dvd of Leslie Sansone "Walk at home 5 day slim down". I love to walk, just not in the winter! LOL I am hoping to talk him into a treadmill, maybe a stationary bike and some type of weight/resistance machine. If anyone has any suggestions - on equipment or advice on setting up the exercise room - we would love to hear them. We are starting with a concrete floor, block walls and dropped ceiling. He thinks we need to raise the floor a little just so it is warmer. I think we can put the foam squares down and it will be enough. We already have one corner coveren in the squares/tiles - we used this for the dogs. Cost wise, if I can get them at Sam's Club like I did the first set, cost isn't too bad. But if we raise the floor, we will have to work around the door as it is a walk-out basement. I will try to post updates at least twice a week during the building process and also once we start using it.

Homemade laundry soap

I am trying to get as many chemicals out of our house as I can so.....
I decided to make my own laundry soap - to save money and so I knew exactly what was in it! It was really pretty easy to make and there are alot of recipes online. The one I used was -
2 bars of Ivory soap grated - I could not find Fels Naptha which was recommended also.
4 cups of borax (20 mule team)
4 cups of washing soda (not baking soda. found in the laundry isle of local Krogers)
4 cups of baking soda
Mix together & put in sealed container.
You only need to use 1/8 cup per load.
So far it is working great! It really low sudsing so don't expect to see bubbles, but it really does leave clothes clean & fresh smelling! Low sudsing is better for septic systems, too.

My first post! I have been saying for a couple months I should have started a blog about remodeling the house at the farm. I was pretty good about taking lots of pictures along the way, but just didn't find the time to sit down at the computer - wouldn't know why! LOL