Substance of Living

Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies DH and I were trying to figure out when Red Velvet anything is not appreciated.  What we were able to decipher is that Christmas, Valentines Day, Birthdays, Parties of any sort, Weekdays, Weekends, in fact any time is appropriate to serve up Red Velvet something or other. We are serving Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies by Duncan Hines with tea this afternoon.  Here's how we did it (of course I had to change up the actual recipe a bit as you'll see in the notes). Duncan Hines Signature Red Velvet Cake Mix Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies Ingredients: (Taken directly from the box) 6 tablespoons Butter 1 cup Powdered Sugar 1 teaspoon Cornstarch 1 box Duncan Hines Signature Red Velvet Cake Mix 2 Large Eggs 1 teaspoon Lemon Zest Directions: Preheat oven to 375F. Melt Butter and set aside. Combine Cornstarch and Powdered Sugar in a shallow bowl - set aside. Combine and mix by hand the Cake Mix, Cooled Butter, Eggs and Lemon Zest...

Substance of Living members and readers are the best!  You may have received the following information in your email before but thought sharing this email a reader, like you, sent in and that it was relevant with the raw food moment growing. I'm neither a nutritionist nor doctor so I don't know the factual benefits of each food item.  However, it seems to make sense.  In any case, it wouldn't hurt me to increase my fruit and vegetable consumption.  I tend to get in a rut and eat the same foods and every now and then get a kick in the pants to get me going again.  Thank you so much for sending this email. It's been said that God first separated the salt water from the fresh, made dry land, planted a garden, made animals and fish...  All before making a human.  He made and provided what we'd need before we were born.  These are best & more powerful when eaten raw.  We're such slow learners... God left us a great clue as to what foods...

Mother Earth News Did you know that High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) has been around and added to our food for over 40 years? Is it that we are now becoming cautious of what goes into our bodies that we are reading labels and asking questions?  One of the first items, from a long list, omitted from many diets was Mono-Sodium Glutamate (MSG), and now we are battling bisphenol A ( BPA ) and high fructose corn syrup in what seems like everything packaged. Sweet Surprise says "... many health professionals agree that whether it’s sugar from corn or sugar from cane, your body can’t tell the difference—your body metabolizes both the same way."  This may be a true statement if we were to eat an ear of corn or take sugar from the cane.  However, Sara Novak from TLC tells us, "First of all, there's nothing natural about high fructose corn syrup and it most certainly does not exist in nature. The process starts off with corn kernels, yes, but then that corn is...

Who knew when we were little that we would grow up to be a CEO (Chief Executive Officer), CFO (Chief Financial Officer), Chief Operating Officer (COO), Financial Analyst, Manager, Chauffeur, Inventory Control Officer, or an Officer of Waste Management?  Maybe not of a large corporation but in one fashion or another, we are all of these titles in our own homes.  We wear so many hats at any given time.  Sometimes it's amazing that anything gets done.  However, when we start at home, we are able to make a larger impact in our community affecting leaders of great companies. We vote with our wallets.   We talk about the high cost of gasoline and yet we have smart phones with outrageous phone bills each month.  We talk about the price of groceries and yet we eat out in restaurants or waste the food that we do bring home. Do we really need to have “up-to-the-minute” information all day?  My husband and I found ourselves (not just once) in a nice res...

I'm not usually a fan of soup that comes in a can or premixed because of the sodium content.  In fact, this one has 630mg of sodium per cup, which I feel is still too high. A few reasons I do like this particular mix is because: It's made in the USA. It cooks in 15 minutes. Individual portions can be made. It's all natural. I also like this mix for all its applications.  Not only am I able to serve this as a hearty soup, just by mixing water, to my family I can also add vegetables and use the mix as a base.  When we are lucky enough to have leftovers, we use it as a gravy over baked potatoes or enjoy it for lunch with a sandwich or salad. This particular soup shown was made as part of a themed potluck dinner. Three additional items that we happened to have on hand were added.  This dish was a big hit and one of the easiest recipes I've ever given out without having to write it down! 1/2 T crushed chipotle peppers 4 sweet peppers 2 C Frozen ...

When we moved into our cute apartment while searching for our new home, a few things - the pantry being one - were not high on our list.  Once we moved in, it became apparent that unfortunately our temporary home doesn’t have what one would call a pantry.  So, we have truly combined our dining room and kitchen.  I suppose our storage system is much like open-cupboard cabinets.  Very pretty to look at but function and storage must be taken into consideration.  Luckily we had some nice storage pieces.  Glass containers are so much prettier to look at than a box.  So, cereal and pasta went into pretty containers. The metal shelving found its way into the kitchen from the storage closet to hold the canned goods and coffee maker.  These larger coffee makers really are great for company or quickly making a large pot of tea.   The island cart came in from the screened-in patio to hold some extra dishes and non-canned goods. S...

June 24, 2012 - June 30, 2012 Day Menu Item Shopping Sunday Vegetarian Chorizo Firm Tofu Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)** Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth 1 can D iced Tomatoes 1 small Y ellow Onion S moked Paprika Powder C umin T hyme G round Allspice M arjoram X anthan Gum S oy Lecithin C ayenne Powder R ed Chili Powder 1 R ed Ancho Chile 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste White Vinegar 2 cloves G arlic 1  Shallot Monday Enchiladas  1 can (15 oz) Enchilada Sauce 1 can (15 oz) of Vegetarian Refried Beans 1 Onion 1 Bell Pepper 6 to 10 Mushrooms Cheddar Cheese 6 Flour or Corn Tortillas Tuesday Tofu in Apricot Tamarind Sauce Extra Firm Tofu Cremini and Shiitake Mushrooms Dried Apricots Tamarind**** Piloncillo or Brown Sugar Lime Chipotle Chilis in Adobo Sauce Apricot Preserves Rice Wednesday Flautas Vegetarian Refried Beans Shredded Cheese Mini Corn Tortillas Thursday No-Queso Quesadilla Nutritional Yeast Cornstarch Lemon...

For those of you who have been gluten-free for some time probably know about these products but for those of you who are new it may seem that there isn’t anything out there.  There are new products being introduced practically daily.  Mainstream brands are also beginning to understand that they need to provide alternatives.  For example, Bisquick and Betty Crocker now have gluten-free products.  There is a HUGE expense to this diet and that it seems our items are 3X the price.  Then again, the price at the cash register is so much LESS than what a doctor visit, medication, and the overall suffering of not eating properly causes. Aleia * BetterBatter * Bob’s Red Mill (Flours, Oats) – This item can be found in most grocery stores in the baking or health food aisle. Chebe (Pizza Dough Mix, Bread Dough Mix, Cinnamon Rolls Mix) Deboles (Pasta) -- This item can be found in most grocery stores in the pasta or health food aisle. Dr Schar (Pasta) ...

"Better keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you must see the world." -- George Bernard Shaw Choose any five (5) days a week to do the following projects.  Try to do at least two items a day and to ensure that they are done, schedule them in your calendar.  Over a month's time, everything should have been done at least once, if not more often.  Some items won't be done at all due to the time of year. I have not scheduled the amount of time each task will take because the size of rooms, number of people in a house, etc.  The first time you do each task mark down how long it took so that you know approximately how long it will take next time.  You will probably find that each task will end up taking a little less time as you get better organized.  You might be able to complete a load of laundry in while you clean the tub, sink, toilet, and floor! Clean out the refrigerator while you're getting dinner ready or or...