Friday, March 15, 2013

Keeping up with the times

So a friend mentioned yesterday on Facebook that Google Reader was going away.

For those who might not know, Reader is an aggregator that lines up unread posts from your favorite blogs, all in one handy-dandy place. It's simple, efficient and effective.

iGoogle, Google's home page, also is going away. It was equally handy, putting several modules of information all in one place and ready to read as soon as I launched my browser.

I'm trying out feedly, which has made it super-easy to migrate from Reader to their product as long as you log in with your Google account AND as long as you do it before Reader goes away. It's working well, but I wish I could change it so older entries are at the top of the list. That's my only beef so far.

As for iGoogle, the module I used most was … Reader. So I'm learning to do without. I had a stock-checker on there, and a weather widget, and top stories from the NYTimes, all of which are also apped on my phone. And I tend to have the phone with me all. the. time. Especially if you ask my husband. Heh.

Change sucks, but as changes go, this one has been just fine, so far.

Coffee soap. Um, yum!
So let's talk about soap! (How's that for a segue? Hmm, not so great. I agree.) My first crafty project yesterday was the simplest melt-and-pour creation but it looks pretty cool and it smells delicious. I used goat's milk soap base, added a hit of cinnamon and a half cup of used, dried coffee grounds, along with some amaretto-scented essential oil. My husband wants to EAT them! Coffee soap is supposed to remove kitchen odors, plus it just looks cool. I love the idea of homemade soap more than I love the multiple oils-plus-lye-plus-add-in process, so this was the perfect project to get my better day started.

I then got started on the garden center's newsletter and by the time I finished that I was ready to work out. The cold and wind kept me indoors on the elliptical. An hour later I was gathering supplies for a couple of Easter banner decorations, which WILL BE MAILED ON TIME to a couple sets of grandchildren.

I fiddled around with the food yesterday and made some improvements, but when the carbs go down, the fats go up. I need to focus more on how I can increase protein rather than how I can reduce carbs.

Perhaps I should go boil some eggs.

5 comments:

Diandra said...

My sister is making her own soaps from scratch. Even my extremely dry hands like them, and the ginger chocolate soap she gave me smells delicious. (There is also a bar with woodruff scent somewhere.)

Diandra said...

PS: I think it will be tough to increase the proteins without increasing the fats as well. I mean, meat and dairy and fish all also have fats. Maybe beans and such? Or tofu? (I do not eat soy products for personal reasons, but if you're okay with that...) I guess they have some fat as well, but maybe not as much...

Vickie said...

egg whites rather than eggs, so you don't roll into a cholesterol problem. I buy mine in a carton at the store. Egg beaters has additives. egg whites only have egg whites. I can't tell you how many people I have read over the years who suddenly had a cholesterol problem from too many eggs.


"Fish considered to be very low in fat are less than 2.5 percent fat for each 3-oz. serving. According to the New York Seafood Council, cooked 3-oz. portions of fish which are very low in fat include cod, flounder, grouper, halibut, mahi-mahi, monkfish, perch, pike, red snapper, sole, tuna and whiting."

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/305916-what-types-of-fish-are-low-in-fat/#ixzz2NcGlTf2w

I only do fish once a week because of mercury.


boneless, skinless chicken breast


extra lean ground turkey breast (all five of those words have to be on package, that is the lowest fat of the turkey)


It is very hard to get enough protein without increasing carbs in "beans and such".


It takes effort for me to keep my carb ratio low enough, because there are carbs in a lot of stuff (like green veggies). So yes, I do have to watch the blatant carb sources like white potatoes, wheat things, etc.


I have no problems keeping my fat number low enough and I eat a small avocado and flax oil every day.


I am able to keep my protein number high enough.


As you track, you will be able to see where to adjust. I look at each meal and work on adjusting that rather than trying to make one meal balance out of the whole day.

Vickie said...

Plain Greek yogurt. I think it is easier to control the carbs to start with plain and then add your own fruit if you need fruit. Then you can add a fruit that you would have been eating that same day, rather than an extra fruit.

Many people use a protein powder. I did in the very beginning. Didn't for many years. And now am using one again. I use a plain Whey protein (now). I add it to my oatmeal to increase the protein number of my breakfast.

I find it very helpful to always eat protein and carbs together. And then, like I mentioned, work on the ratios of that combination each time I eat.

There are many times where the carbs do not look like carbs, because they are non-starchy veggies. I eat a lot of veggies. (and I am not talking about crunchy water - celery and ice berg).

Protein is actually what holds blood sugar and hunger. But would not want to be ingesting too much protein, because that is not healthy either.

Balance.

denise said...

So glad you mentioned eggs - I have some that are old enough that I'm ready to put them in my egg cooker and hard boil them. And, I keep forgetting to do it. I'm going to go get the cooker out right after typing this so I don't forget again.

I love hard boiled eggs as a snack. I find them to be satisfying as an afternoon snack and a great convenience as a quick out the door breakfast.

I heard from a friend some time ago that you shouldn't hard boil fresh eggs because they don't work as well when they're fresh, so I wait until mine get older to do it. Don't know if that's true or just an old wive's tale...or both!

Day Last

 Mike finished his chemo yesterday. The cumulative effects of four rounds beginning in early July are making him pretty uncomfortable, and t...