Bumper Crop!

Lady Farmer Van has been growing a patio tomato plant in a pot and it is LOADED with cherry tomatoes!!

Today I picked eight bright, red, little, and I mean little, tomatoes! It has been fun watching them grow.

There must be at least 100 tomatoes on this vine and I am looking forward to enjoying them in my salads!

Ah, the taste of "home grown and vine ripened!"

Here's to fresh! :)

I've been eating...

Hello friends! I have a confession...I have been eating some great food and loving every bite!

Only problem is, I put on a couple of pounds. I didn't mean to do it, but Subway and Jack in the Box were calling my name...for several days.


Has this ever happened to you? You drive by and all of a sudden, you find yourself with this irresistible urge to eat a hamburger and fries or a meatball sub. It is easier to give in and to get it over with and more delicious too.

Well, this was me since last Thursday. And one Subway wasn't enough, I went back the next day. Umm..good. And I just love to eat the new Deli Trio at Jack in the Box. So good!! I didn't order fries but lucky for me, my friend did and said "help yourself!"


All this being said, I did gain almost 4 pounds. Wow! It wasn't hard to do. So Monday morning, I decided to eat fruit. I ate a quarter of a cantaloupe, an orange and half an apple. For lunch, I ate half a cabbage. I like to fry 2 pieces of bacon and then put in coarsely chopped cabbage and saute it till it is tender. I add lots of black pepper and pile it on my plate and eat and eat and eat!

For dinner. I ate a salad and a hand full of dark chocolate chips. I have been craving dark chocolate. Actually dark chocolate contains MUFA and is good for you. I'm glad.


When I get on a kick, it seems as though I need to eat the same thing for several days to get it out of my system. Tuesday, I ate almost the same thing accept I had a small piece of salmon with my dinner salad.


And today...the 4 pounds were gone! I am so happy! It could have been a diet disaster. You know, the one where you give up because you begin to think "what's the use?" Don't give up. Get back on track!

It is fairly easy to correct 4 pounds. It is a lot harder when it it gets away from you and all of a sudden it is 10 or 15 pounds.


It is OK to give in but don't give up!

It bears repeating!

Habits That Can Help You Live Longer

Did you know the average American man can expect to live for up to 74 years, while the average U.S. woman will see her 79th birthday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Genetics play some part in life expectancy, however, our longevity also depends largely on the habits we incorporate into our daily lives.

Living to 100 Most people who live to be 100 years or older often say they have relied on the following habits to live full, healthy lives. It is never to late for you to adopt them into your daily routine.

Be a Healthy Eater You know what to eat!

Stay Active At least 30 minutes of moderate exercise five days a week. I just got back from my 30 minute walk. It was great to be outside. The sky is so blue today. I dedicate some of my time to praying and more time to giving thanks to God for all He is and for all He has done for me! This will help you stay physically fit and spiritually fit too. :)

Overweight but fit people outlive those who are overweight but out of shape.

Watch what you are eating! I read an article yesterday that said to always leave 2 bites on your plate. By doing this at 3 meals a day you can save about 100 calories a day or 700 calories a week. At the end of the year you will have avoided putting on a couple of pounds.

Small things matter. When you are eating out, put half of your food in a "to go" box. Do this when you are served your meal. This will nick temptation to eat more than you really should eat.

Easy tips to help us all cut our calorie intake. Easy to do...try it!

Good advice!

Yesterday I passed a billboard that read:
Eat healthy, Stay active and Have fun!

Good advice for everyone!

It reminded me of the kind of advice my dad gave me while I was growing up. He believed in healthy eating, exercise and enjoying each day to its fullest!

Daddy was raised on a farm in Tennessee where they ate lots of healthy vegetables everyday. His favorite was the sweet potato.

I remember my Mama would cook 4 or five sweet potatoes in the oven at 350 degrees for about 1 1/2 hours. When they were soft, she would turn off the oven and let them sit for several hours. This is the secret to cooking your sweet potatoes!

If you want to eat something good, just let your sweet potatoes "candy". It does not matter if the potato is eaten hot or cold; it is delicious! Add a little butter and enjoy! :)

And on the more scientific side: In 1992, the Center for Science in the Public Interest compared the nutritional value of sweet potatoes to other vegetables. Considering fibre content, complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins A and C, iron, and calcium, the sweet potato ranked highest in nutritional value. According to these criteria, sweet potatoes earned 184 points, 100 points over the next on the list, the common potato.

Daddy had more advice. Stay active and keep moving! Every morning when he came down the stairs, he stopped at the landing to do exercises. He rode his bicycle almost everyday until he was 89. He knew the secret to good health...keep moving!

Enjoy your day and have fun! Daddy enjoyed everyday. He embraced life as it happened and kept a smile on his face with music in his voice.

He lived with me for about four years but began falling three or four time a week. I feared he would break his hip as Mama had done. The day finally came when he would enter a nursing home. With tears in my eyes, and a heavy heart, I told him it was time to go. He looked up at me, asked for his hat and cane and said: "Van, life is full of changes; this is just another change in mine."

What a wonderful, gracious, earthly father I had with an attitude of kindness, respect and consideration for others. He didn't go out of his way to make his point. He believed in letting the other person save face. Everyone who knew him, loved him. He taught me not to dwell on my misfortunes.

Once when I went to visit Daddy in the nursing home, I asked him if everyone was treating him well. He looked up at me and said: "In my lifetime, I don't remember anyone mistreating me." He always saw the good in people and situations. Attitude is important to good health and long life. Daddy lived to be ten days short of 97 years old. He never once complained about being in a nursing home. He made friends and he made the best of his situation.

In the Bible, Paul tells us in Philippians 4:11 (New King James Version) 11 Not that I speak in regard to need,

for I have learned in whatever state I am,

to be content:

Good advice, don't you agree?

Less stress! Sounds good, doesn't it?

Here are a few tips to help you ease your stress and lower your blood pressure.

Lower your voice and you slow your heart rate and lower your blood pressure, which in turn will ease the tension in your body. The Journal of Behavioral Medicine reports that this single step can make you feel up to 20% calmer in minutes. Makes sense, doesn't it.

Drink 3 to 4 cups of green tea a day. According to Japanese research, green tea has tranquilizing credentials. Volunteers who drank 3 to 4 cups daily had their stress levels drop up to 30%. Apparently tea leaves have L-theanine, an amino acid found exclusively in tea leaves. They lower the out-put of worry trigger beta waves. I may not understand the science to this, but it worth a try. What do you think?

And my favorite! Hugging! The University of North Carolina has proven that hugging immediately increases levels of oxytocin which is a "bonding" hormone. This hormone reins in the physical signs of stress. Women are more sensitive to touch than men, so we reap an even bigger benefit from hugs than men. I get great hugs from my grandson and granddaughter!

Speak softly, enjoy a cup of green tea and give yourself a hug!

Here's hoping you have a stress free day!

Apple cider vinegar has lots of uses!

It is used as a home remedy for acne. Mix one part apple cider vinegar to three parts water and dab onto the pimple. Don't use full strength because some users have reported damage or burns from using full-strength vinegar on the face.

Goodbye Dandruff? If you have dandruff, try mixing 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar with 1/4 cup water. It supposedly restores the pH balance of the scalp.

Put the vinegar mixture into a spray bottle and spray on your hair and scalp. Be sure to avoid the eye and ear area. Wrap a towel around your head and leave on 20 minutes to an hour before washing the vinegar from your hair. Do this a couple of times a week and let me know if it helps your dandruff.

Give your silver a sparkle bath! Soak your silver jewelry and silverware in 1/2 cup white vinegar plus 2 Tbs. baking soda for two or three hours. Rinse with cool water and dry with a soft cloth.

Get rid of stains! Mix 1 1/2 tsp. mild dish soap and a few drops of white vinegar and put on the stains; rinse, wash and see the difference! :)

Although vinegar is inexpensive, I consider it valuable because it has so many uses.

Until tomorrow...have a great day...and remember to eat healthy!

I didn't want to do it!

I just got back from my 2 mile, 30 minute walk. I didn't want to do it...I wanted to stay inside. I wanted to sit in front of the TV and relax. Do nothing ... just chill.

However, I made a commitment to me...to walk at least 3 times a week but preferably 5 times a week. I didn't walk Friday, Saturday or Sunday so today was the day to get started walking...again. I walked and I am glad I did.

Never break your commitments to yourself because they are as important as your commitments to others. Keep walking and enjoy your day!

Add some spice to your life!

Cinnamon counteracts sugary sweets! By adding cinnamon to your diet, you can block some of the unhealthy effects of sugar.

In one study, patients with diabetes, who added just a 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon to their diet daily saw their blood sugar drop by 30%. Plus, they had lower cholesterol levels and fewer fat lipids in their blood than non-cinnamon-eaters! WOW!

I like to sprinkle ground cinnamon in my green tea. It's easy and delicious. Try it and let me know if you like it.

Here's to your better health!

How big is your plate?

Here is an easy diet tip!

We all know we need to watch the portion size of our food servings...but what size plate do you use?

If you use a regular size dinner plate for your meals, your portion sizes are apt to be larger.

Use a salad size plate and smaller portions will look larger and fill the plate.

This is simple to do and the results will help you shed pounds.

Try it and let me know what you think.

It's raining ... it's snowing!

Rain may be common in many parts of the country, but not in the Imperial Desert Valley. We had less than one inch of rain last year.

When I moved here from Tampa Florida almost eight years ago, I missed the rain! In Tampa, it seemed to rain everyday! It was green, tropical and usually wet. Here it is almost always dry, hot, terribly hot and even unbearably hot! Like 110 degrees and sometimes 118 or 120 degrees.

I remember the day I arrived in the valley. It was 110 degrees and I wondered how I would survive. I could hardly catch my breath, literally. As I looked around, I could see heat waves rising from the brown, lifeless desert dirt. Oh golly, what have I done? To make a long story shorter...I asked God to give me a love for the desert. I asked Him to give me eyes to see the beauty of the mountain range, the desert brown dirt and to please help me tolerate the high temperatures.

Well, I am still here and I am so happy. I love the desert. I love to view the mountain range as I drive through the farmland. It is so green when the crops are growing. I get the best of both climates. God is good! He can change your heart, your perspective and your attitude. Just ask!

Today it is raining in the Imperial Desert Valley!

And yes, it is snowing here in the desert too...so to speak. Actually the snowflakes are in my kitchen. My wonderful 91 year old cousin who lives in Tennessee is engaged in a new hobby. Origami snowflakes. She sent me three snowflakes to hang in my kitchen. They are amazing, just like she is.

Enjoy your day... rain or shine or even snow!

Back on track...again!

Yesterday I stayed the course. It only takes a day to put yourself back on track and the reward is worth it.

Ah...to see the scale scaling back to where I was 5 days ago. So fine! I drank vinegar 3 times during the day to help curb my appetite. For me and even for you, it works like a diet pill.

Today I will start my day with blueberries and an apple. About an hour later I will have my double fiber toast with a tablespoon of peanut butter and a half slice of banana. So delicious.

Like yesterday, for lunch I will have a big salad with cherry tomatoes, big green olives, slivered almonds, feta cheese and a sliced hard boiled egg with a low fat dressing ...vinegar would be better.

And my walk...I keep on walking because I need the exercise. I love the fresh air; the wind in my face. It is my time to pray, give thanks, reflect and make plans for the day.

My dieting isn't just about losing weight. It is about discipline, attitude and better health. Looking and feeling better is the benefit I receive but quality of life make each day worth the effort. If you don't believe me, just ask someone who is suffering the consequences of a bad diet.

Oops! I forgot to drink my vinegar!

For those of you who may question the validity of drinking vinegar as a way to curb your appetite, let me tell you I didn't drink mine the last four days and now I have gained two pounds!

I have been eating everything in sight over the weekend. I loved every bite but it is Monday morning and time to get back to the business of watching what I eat.

I just drank 2 tablespoons of vinegar in a glass of water and I am going to start my day with blueberries and cantaloupe followed in an hour by a piece of toasted double fiber wheat bread with an ounce of cheddar cheese. I love this breakfast. It fills me up and gives me lots of fiber. Try it!

I think we need to allow ourselves some free days or even weekends when we eat what we like. If we only do it occasionally, we won't put on much weight...if any, and we won't feel deprived or restricted.

Saturday I enjoyed roasted red pepper humus with pita chips. Only problem was "I ate the whole thing!" Thank goodness it was a small container, just 700 calories and who knows how many pita chips. I didn't keep count. Hopefully I won't binge again for awhile.

OK...after church Sunday I did eat the new "deli trio" sandwich at Jack in the Box with an order of onion rings. It was so delicious and satisfying! Isn't food wonderful. The battle of the bulge continues.

Until next time...thanks for stopping by!

Vinegar works like a diet pill!

Yesterday I launched my blog! I have been working on it for a month but the fog lifted and I got started. I read the book BLOGWILD! by Andy Wibbels over the weekend and the best advice for me in the book was "get started" and don't worry if everything is perfect. Well, perfect or not, I am ready to write.


I am so happy to be on a diet and sticking to it. I am losing weight and I am definitely eating healthier. I feel better and I look better in my clothes. Yesterday at church a friend looked at me and said, "Wow! We are seeing less and less of you!" :)


Here is a great tip I read in" Woman's World" magazine. Vinegar! Drink 2 tablespoons of vinegar in three or four ounces of water everyday. Works like a charm! In a study conducted by a team of Japanese scientist, they found that people who skipped dieting but simply took 2 tablespoons of vinegar daily lost five times more weight than the vinegar-free group. Impressive! Any variety of vinegar will do as long as it has 5% acidity. So you can use apple cider (I do), red wine, balsamic or white vinegar.

But there is more...Arizona State research found that those who took 1 1/2 tablespoons of vinegar a day automatically eat 200 fewer calories later in the day.

A Swedish study found when we consume extra vinegar, we actually produce less of the hormone insulin. Excess insulin makes it harder to burn fat and easier to store it. Another reason to use vinegar on your salads and down a couple of tablespoons a day.

Thanks for stopping by...bottoms up!

Who has a flat belly?

Welcome to 'My Favorite Read'!

Let me begin by telling you how my favorite read became my favorite read. I have more than one, but this is the one that first spiked my interest.

Several months ago while waiting in line at my favorite Super Walmart, a magazine cover caught my eye. It read "flat belly" foods. Wow...would I ever love to have a flatter belly. I bought the magazine and took it home to read. It introduced me to a new concept in dieting and diet.

Before I bought this magazine, I remember seeing a book at Costco titled 'Flat Belly Diet'. I thought it was a joke...a spoof book about something or other, but certainly not about getting a flat belly. Who has a flat belly? No one I know. I may have had a flat belly once, but that was a long time ago when I was younger and I worked out and watched what I ate. I haven't had a flat belly in 25 years or more!

Nevertheless, this little magazine by Prevention has changed my life, my diet, my weight and my health.

I have high (not to high) blood pressure and high (not to high) cholesterol. What a blow to my sense of well being. I didn't take kindly to the doctor when he suggested I take blood pressure pills and something to reduce my cholesterol. Surely he couldn't be talking to me! Surely the 30 pounds extra I was carrying around didn't have a negative effect on my health.

Like many of you, I have spent my life on a diet, but not one to lose weight. I have been on ice cream and doughnut diets; hamburger and french fries diets; eat everything you see diets and fast food diets. They always added weight.

I have gone on diets to lose weight but most of the time I didn't lose weight because I wan not committed. I wanted to lose weight but not enough to actually watch what I was eating or count the calories. However, there does come a time when you get motivated to lose weight. I have taken dieting seriously three time in my life. It has always been when a family member made a comment to me about my "fuller figure". To be exact, the comments came from the three most important men in my life; my father, my husband, and my son (in that order but years apart).

When I was 30 years old, my Dad and I traveled to a family reunion taking my 2 year old son to meet his cousins. While at the family picnic, Daddy commented I was getting a little "plump". He confirmed what I already knew. I came home and began to diet. I lost the extra pounds and kept them off for several years.

When I was thirty seven years old, and again plump, my husband made an unkind statement about my weight. It really hurt my feelings and made me mad. I joined Weight Watchers and lost the weight and kept it off for years.

I am now 63 and the pounds have once more attached themselves to me. My 36 year old son noticed how big my belly is and suggested I go on a diet and get some exercise. The truth hurts!

Remembering my sons comment about my belly caused me to take notice and take seriously the article I saw in Prevention magazine about a flat belly. No...my belly is not yet flat ( like a model ) but I have lost 25 pounds and I am excited.

I walk two miles three days a week and sometimes more. It only takes me 30 minutes and it gives me time to pray, think and plan my day. I feel better and I know my health is better.

It is not to late to reclaim your health and your figure.
I am and you can too!


Thanks for visiting My Favorite Read.