Happy Birthday America!

Here it is, the 4th of July, with celebrations all over the good old USA.  Independence Day and the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  Was it signed on July 4, 1776?  Actually they say that it was adopted on July 4, 1776 and signed by John Hancock with the majority of signatures gathered on August 2, 1776.  Maybe we should celebrate from July 4th through August 2nd.  A lot of the celebration is done with fireworks and I have to say that the selling of fireworks here in Missouri sure is different than anything I had ever seen on the west coast.  I had only seen small firework stands with a minimal selection of fireworks, however here there are no small stands, only huge tents with  anything that could explode for sale.  The prices also seem to be very reasonable as you could purchase a gross (144) firecrackers for $1.25 or how about a gross of bottle rockets for $3.00.  I just had to stop in one and check it out and had a nice conversation with the owner, but didn't spend a penny.  That's another thing, these huge venues are not operated by and for non profit organizations they are owned and operated by individuals for profit.  The owner I was talking to has had that location for 20 years, what a difference from anything I was a custom to.  By the way, in our small town of only 10,000 people I counted 9 huge tents.  We were going to go out to our main street and watch the cities fireworks show like last year, but Jan has had a tough week and Abby hasn't been doing well the last couple of days.  We have decided to just stay home this year and maybe we will be able to see the fireworks from the house, or watch them on TV.

This is the fireworks stand I visited

This was just one row of fireworks, there were four rows in total

As I said this was a tough week for Jan, about 5 weeks ago she had an injection in her back which gave her much comfort from the pain she was in but last weekend the pain came back with a vengeance.  Her next injection wasn't scheduled until mid July but fortunately the pain management doctor was able to see her last Tuesday which is giving her some relief.  Then the next day, she had a visit to the Dermatologist for a procedure.  

Abby has had a couple of tough days also having trouble keeping any food down so she's back on a rice diet and chicken broth for a while.  I thought things were going good, as last Friday when I took her to the vet she had gained four pounds over the last three weeks.

Friends from Horses of Hope had a birthday party for their one year old grandson last week so we ventured off to Kansas to attend.  We had a great time and enjoyed the food, fun and friends.  The BBQ beef was absolutely delicious ( I had 3 helpings).  There was a wagon ride and even a harpist, I think JK the birthday boy really enjoyed the harpist!

The tables and chairs (straw) for the party

The wagon rides were fun, that's the proud grandma in the red & white

I was happy with my weigh-in this week as I gained one pound, still working on maintenance, I'll get it figured out I just don't want to lose anymore.  Jan didn't weigh-in this week as she was at the doctors, however, she did say to me today that she feels like she has lost weight.  There has been a lot of talk this week about a ripple effect, that is how can one thing create a chain reaction, so give this exercise a try.  Think of one little thing that has helped you in your weight loss, for example tracking, then ask yourself what happens when I track, answer the question and then ask yourself again then what happens.  keep asking yourself then what happens and you will see the ripple effect of tracking.

One small change CAN make a difference.

I was reading a great article at HellaWella on foods that help relieve stress and I wanted to share part of it with you.

Ditch your “comfort” foods. When we're stressed, our bodies release more cortisol than usual, causing more food cravings, especially the need for carbs and sweets for women. This consumption of unhealthy food when we’re stressed increases the likelihood that we’ll store belly fat. So it’s important to understand how stress and poor eating affect our overall health.

Unsurprisingly, many of the foods that reduce stress also are the same that are recommended to improve cognitive ability and memory. They include blueberries, garlic, oatmeal, salmon, nuts and dark chocolate.

Eat your greens. Asparagus, which is high in folates; avocados, rich in glutathione, a fat-blocker in the intestines; and leafy greens, high in B vitamins, will help you keep your stress down.

Drink your liquids. Chamomile and green tea have threonine, an amino acid linked to the reduction of anxiety and promotion of sleep. That’s why Sleepy time tea makes us feel like we’re floating on a cloud. Likewise, the calcium in milk also serves as a calming agent.

If you like coconut, if you like fudge, if you like cookies, you'll love this weeks food find.

This weeks recipe is a great summer time salad.

Pasta Salad with Baby Greens

Servings: 4 • Size: about 1 1/2 cups • Calories: 169 • Fat: 5 g • Carb: 29.5 g • Fiber: 5 g • Protein: 6 g

Ingredients:

·         3 oz (about 4 cups) baby arugula and baby spinach mix

·         5 oz high fiber or whole wheat pasta (use brown rice pasta for GF)

·         1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes, sliced thin

·         2 tbsp capers, drained

·         2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

·         1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

·         salt and fresh pepper to taste

·         2 tbsp freshly shaved Parmigiano Reggiano

Directions:

Boil pasta in salted water according to package directions. When done, drain and rinse under cold water.

In a large bowl, combine the pasta, baby greens, sun dried tomatoes, capers, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Toss well then just before serving top with fresh shaved Parmigiano Reggiano.

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