Stop with the Pop

Most Americans drink an average of one and a half cans of soda a day. That doesn't seem like much, but the sugars, chemicals, and caffeine found in even 20oz. of soda ought not to be ignored. Since I have a little one, I find myself being increasingly aware of the foods we eat. In studying nutrition, soda comes up as the number one danger food. 

Mineral Loss in Bones
Caffeine causes mineral loss in bones. According to a recent study, caffeine cause a depletion of minerals in the bones-especially calcium. There is no valid scientific proof that it stunts bone growth, but there are studies showing a bone mineral loss and weaker-less dense bones as a result of caffeine intake. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S8756328201006597

Tooth Corrosion
Soda also destroys tooth enamel. In fact the sugar in soda is not the major concern, it is actually the acids in the soda. According to research, "Root beer could be the safest soft drink for your teeth, new research suggests, but many other popular diet and sugared sodas are nearly as corrosive to dental enamel as battery acid." http://www.sugarstacks.com/beverages.htm. Battery acid has a ph of 1.0 while Coke has 2.25 ph. Colas are the most dangerous kind of soda. My mom used to use coke to clean rust off metal. "The erosive potential of colas is 10 times that of fruit juices in just the first three minutes of drinking, a study last year showed. The latest research, published in Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) journal General Dentistry, reports that drinking any type of soft drink hurts teeth due to the citric acid and/or phosphoric acid in the beverages." http://www.sugarstacks.com/beverages.htm.

Weight Gain
Both diet and regular sugared sodas cause wight gain. Artificially sweetened soda raises blood sugar just like regular sugar does. People who drink either regular or diet soda both gain weight. It doesn't make a difference what kind they drink. Aspartame has been proven to be an appetite increase causing people to want to eat more after drinking a diet soda. The calories found in a can non-diet soda is comparable to eating a turkey sandwich-basically-lunch.

Diabetes
Since drinking soda is usually the main reason for weight gain in most Americans. People who are overweight are at a higher risk for high blood pressure and diabetes. Large quantities of sugar has also been attributed to making a pancreas disfunctional, leading to diabetes.

Cleaning Schedule

My weekly housecleaning routine has always been simple and very basic. Once a week I would clean the floors, furniture, and appliances. It took about three good hours to do a satisfactory job in our two bedroom apartment. Once or twice a year I would also do a week of major spring cleaning and scrub every nook and cranny. However I found that sometimes there are places that never get cleaned and are regularly looked over. With a little person around the house--I know she is going to find those forgotten places and what to lick them clean. I decided it was best to keep up with everything regularly. So, recently I decided to add those neglected places to a monthly cleaning . I also find it helpful to break up my house cleaning into 5 days a week rather than doing it all in one day. It is much easier for me to send 15-20 minutes a day cleaning than 2-4 hrs all at once. This is how it works:


Basic cleaning routine:
Monday: Dust furniture, lamps, door frames, ceiling fans, blinds, and electronics
Tuesday: Clean bathroom-wipe down all household mirrors
Wednesday: Clean and organize closets
Thursday: Clean kitchen
Friday: Vacuum carpets, scrub linoleum floors


I do the weekly scheduled cleaning and the one monthly scheduled cleaning each day. Scheduling helps me keep my house clean regularly and insures I have the time to get it done. Also, if these things are done regularly, I have found that they are pretty easy to keep up with each time.

Monthly cleaning routine:
Week 1:
Monday: Dust fica trees and fake flowers
Tuesday: Clean inside cabinets in bathroom
Wednesday: Clean and organize drawers in furniture
Thursday: Wipe down and organize kitchen cupboards
Friday: Sweep outside front door

Week 2:
Monday: Clean light fixtures and ceiling fans
Tuesday: Clean under beds and living room furniture
Wednesday: Clean and organize piano books
Thursday: Dust above cabinets-clean doodads on top of cabinets
Friday: Clean floors under oven and refrigerator

Week 3:
Monday: Dust pictures/things on the walls
Tuesday: Dust and Organize shelves in baby's room
Wednesday: Clean around desk and desanitize computer mouse and phones
Thursday: Clean oven, stove, and range hood
Friday: Vacuum around edges of walls and furniture with vacuum hose

Week 4:
Monday: Dust bookshelves-get on top and under books
Tuesday: Clean windows
Wednesday: Wipe down doors and desanitize doorknobs
Thursday: Clean refrigerator
Friday: Spot clean the carpets

Building Recipes

As I have gotten more comfortable cooking, I have enjoyed spreading my wings and experimenting with recipes I totally make up. It is not only and adventure-it is a dangerous adventure! At first I began by substituting different ingredients on various recipes until I gained enough courage and confidence to invent my own. My husband has been most gracious in trying my new ventures, but I will admit, there have been times it was a complete flop - like chicken spaghetti. It just wasn't right. 

To Build One's Own Recipes it is important to...

1. Have a general understanding of what flavors work well together

2. Have a with a desired taste goal

3. Be willing to take the risk and even fail

1. A general understanding of what flavors work well together simply means that if for example an Italian flavor is desired, I know that parsley, oregano, basil, and garlic are going to be my friends.

2. A desired taste is like designing a dress, writing a song, or drawing up blueprints for a house. When I start out without a recipe, I imagine the taste of an end product in my mouth and working from that flavor, I think of what I need to add to that recipe to get the desired result.

3. Yes it is a risk to experiment-especially for those who always measure out every ingredient to the last ounce. It is very likely a recipe will be a complete flop-or it may simply need something to be added or eliminated on the next attempt.

Although I am not always faithful at taking notes as I invent a new combination of foods, if the recipe is a success, it can never be re-created without some notes and fairly exact measurements. So it is important to keep some kind of record of each ingredient that was added to the pot.

A Couple Personal Recipes:

Autumn Chicken in Sauce

3 chicken legs and thighs-cooked and chopped

1 c. almond milk (regular milk will work too)

2 T cornstarch or flour

1 t. allspice

1 t. nutmeg

1 t. coriander

1/2 t. ginger

2 t. salt

2 t. pepper

1T bacon fat or 1/2 t. liquid smoke

1 c. mayonnaise

cooked pasta-any shape is good

slivered and toasted almonds-to sprinkle on top

1. Mix milk, cornstarch, spices and fat in medium saucepan on the stove on medium until thickened. 

2. Whip in mayonnaise

3. fold in chicken

4. pour over pasta-good on biscuits or toast too!

5. sprinkle almonds on top

Chicken Bacon Pasta

1 lb of cooked and chopped bacon

2 c. cubed-cooked chicken

1 pkg. Cream cheese-low fat does not work

1/4 c. milk

2 t. salt

2 t. pepper

1 t. sage

1 t. celery seed

3-4 c. cooked pasta-any cut-I like the colored spirals or bow-ties

1. In small saucepan warm cheese, milk and seasonings till smooth.

2. Mix chicken and bacon into pasta

3. Stir warm sauce into pasta mixture and serve warm