Happy Valentines

 Happy Valentines Day everyone :)

It's a rainy cold wet one here with sick & whiney kids but we are doing our best!

Just wanted to share some Valentine visuals.



This mornings breakfast.



Snacks for later.



Some of our Valentine art.



The front doors all decked out in Valentine finery.

Hope you have a lovely day with your lovely.

And remember:

1 Corinthians 13

¹ Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. ² And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³ And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
⁴ Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; ⁵ does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; ⁶ does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
⁸ Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part. ¹⁰ But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. ¹² For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
¹³ And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

 Blessings.

Protein?

Okay.

Several folks have mentioned trouble getting enough protein in their diet. Especially  pregnant ladies who are having a hard time eating much.

I recommend high protein smoothies as they are what help me (especially in early pregnancy when I can't eat much).

I finally got around to looking up the numbers & thought I would share.
First of all the USDA guideline for protein for a pregnant woman is 60 grams. For nursing moms it's about 70 grams. And for the rest of us they say around 40-45 grams.

Right off the bat I will say that is WAY too low.

To be healthy & strong & maintaining muscle I believe we need triple the RDA if not more. That said; back to the smoothie.
A protein rich smoothie is an excellent way to up your protein intake in a simple tasty easy to drink fashion.

I often do not feel like eating a big protein heavy meal first thing in the morning but a smoothie is always yummy :)

My children are often not big eaters but I can usually get them to drink a smoothie as well.
It's not rocket science:
milk
yogurt
eggs
fruit
ice
That's it.
A cup of milk has 8 grams of protein. Yogurt has 7-10 grams. Eggs have 8 grams each.

 So a smoothie w/ 1 c. milk, 1 c. yogurt, & 3 eggs  & whatever fruit you like/have on hand is approx. 40 grams of protein.

That is half of your RDA (if pregnant) or a good start to a healthy amount of protein in your day.

By having meat & cheese & milk at lunch & dinner you can easily be up to 120-200 grams of protein daily.

If you are worried about the eggs in the smoothie~don't be. Fully blended you would never know they are there. They add no taste or texture.

From a health stand point I would recommend fresh organic eggs if you have access to them.

By that same token fresh raw milk & raw milk yogurt really make this a healthy power packed drink.

So if you need a protein boost or just can't face steak & eggs first thing in the morning~try a smoothie!

Blessings.

Reasons not to hate California

Okay.

I know how that sounds.

But, the truth, is I really don't like California.

Not the politics, not the bazillions of people (everywhere), not the climate, not the taxes & not the PG&E bill(Grrrrrr, but that is another post).

So, in my quest to 'bloom where I am planted' I have decided to keep a running list of the good things about living here.

So here goes:

1) the orange tree in back yard

2)the meadowlark which sang to me on my birthday

3)the fact that folks bring in boxes of fruit to church for whoever wants it~so far they have brought in peaches, pears, pomegranates, mandarins, grapefruit, persimmons, oranges, lemons, & plums.

4) the ability to plan & START my garden now.

5) the ability to grow artichokes as a perennial

That's all I've got for now ;)

Blessings.