I beat the Peanut. Well for now :)

So, I did well for my first challenge. I went an entire 24 hours without consuming one peanut. Well, any nut for that matter. So, I am well on my way to kicking that bad habit. If I can get back on track and just consume the recommended amount of a handful of nuts per WEEK ,I'll be cool.

What is todays' challenge? I actually turned to my cousin for this one. Let's start a creative project, focus and if not finish it be well underway to a well developed end product. Let's see what we come up with!

Blast From the Past

I want to introduce this challenge as well. I initially posted this one in 2007.

1. write a list of 10 things that you love about yourself. 2. Write a list of 10 things that you would like to change about yourself or changes you would like to make (within reason!) and begin making those changes. No time limits, just mark the item off you list when you accomplish it.... are you up for the Challenge?

See ya!

Daily Challenge

Good morning everyone.

I have today's challenge in mind. Up for challenge is denial of an urge that you know is bad for you but we love it anyway. My down fall is food..especially snack food. The almighty peanut (Homer Simpson soundtrack in the background "mmmm peanuts") will be my downfall. I bought a large jar of Planters peanuts 2 days ago and guess what? You got it, empty! Today (actually for 24 hours), I will walk by that second jar without opening it or even taking a nibble of their DELICIOUS contents.

Wish me luck!

Attached is a little food for thought..hee hee!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peanut

Peanut Crunch Balls
http://southernfood.about.com/od/peanuts/r/bl50615a.htm

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups corn flakes
2 cups crispy rice cereal
1 cup roasted salted peanuts

Preparation:In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, evaporated milk, and corn syrup. Cook over low heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until soft ball stage* is reached, or about 236° on a candy thermometer. Add vanilla. While syrup is cooking, in a large buttered bowl, combine cereals and peanuts; toss to blend ingredients. Add the cooked syrup, stirring with a wooden spoon to coat well. Refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes. Coat hands with butter and form mixture into about 3 to 4 dozen 1 1/2 to 2-inch balls.
*To Test for Soft Ball Stage
A small amount of syrup dropped into chilled water forms a ball, but is soft enough to flatten when picked up with fingers (234° to 240°).

Thank you!

Tuesday, July 14, 2009
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Sharing Your FaithShaun King



"How much does a so-called Christian have to hate you if they really believe in Jesus, Heaven, and Hell and never tell you about it?" While those words may sound like they came from your local evangelist or pastor, they didn't. Not even close. Instead, they came from the mouth of one of the most famous non-believing atheists in the world, Penn Jillette, widely known as the bigger half of the performance group Penn & Teller.When I heard Penn make this statement it was like a kick in the gut. Let me tell you why. Penn made this statement after finishing a show. A very warm, sincere man waited patiently to meet with Penn and gave Penn a small Bible and told him very kindly how much he believed and valued the words inside of that book. Now, before you get too happy I want to tell you ahead of time that Penn still says he could care less about the Bible, but he was moved by earnest honesty and beliefs of a simple man that wanted to share his faith in God with someone that he admired. Not cliché, not judgmental, not snobbish, the man very plainly and simply shared his faith and it broke through Penn's very cynical exterior walls.When reflecting back on this encounter later that evening, Penn said that he wasn't even slightly irritated when the man shared his faith. Indeed, he said what troubled and irritated him even more than someone sharing a deeply held faith in God, was a man or woman that claimed to have a deep faith about a risen Savior, or an everlasting afterlife of Heaven or Hell, but thought so little about people that they never told them about it!Ouch! Strong words? Yes.But Penn is right.Either we don't really believe in an awesome Savior that chose the nails and the cross for us or we must hate people so much that we know this Savior for ourselves, but don't want anyone else to know Him.Who are you telling about Jesus? Better yet - who are you not telling about Him that really needs to hear His story and yours? Are you sure you believe in Jesus and in Heaven? If so, why not tell everyone you know about this amazing news we call the Gospel?One thing that I have learned over the past few weeks with the deaths of Michael Jackson, Steve McNair, Farrah Fawcett, Billy Mays, and others is that tomorrow just isn't promised and that we should never assume that we have another hour or another day or another random time to tell someone about our faith journey. Maybe they'll reject the Gospel and reject you and move on, but maybe, just maybe they won't. Maybe God will use you as a springboard into the heart of that person or that family that you need to talk with. Just understand this - our faith is not a private faith. It's not a secret, keep-it-to-yourself type of faith.It's a tell-the-whole-world-because-you-contain-yourself type of faith and people need to hear from you.Today, I dare you to start sharing your faith today and see what happens!
Shaun King is Lead Pastor of The Courageous Church in downtown Atlanta. A king of multi-tasking, Shaun is a proud husband, father of four, grad student, regular guest on NPR, and an avid blogger at ShaunInTheCity.com.
© Shaun King all rights reserved.
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Streaming Faith1100 Circle 75 Parkway, Suite 600Atlanta, GA 30339 US

Shrimp delite

Basil Shrimp with Feta and Orzo
Ingredients
1 regular-size foil oven bag Cooking spray 1/2 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta) 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided 1 cup diced tomato 3/4 cup sliced green onions 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 3/4 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Preparation
Preheat oven to 450°.
Coat inside of oven bag with cooking spray. Place the bag on a large shallow baking pan.
Cook the pasta in boiling water 5 minutes, omitting salt and fat; drain. Place the pasta in a large bowl. Stir in 1 teaspoon oil and next 7 ingredients (1 teaspoon oil through pepper). Place the orzo mixture in prepared oven bag. Combine shrimp and basil. Arrange shrimp mixture on orzo mixture. Fold edge of bag over to seal. Bake at 450° for 25 minutes or until the shrimp are done. Cut open bag with a sharp knife, and peel back the foil. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon oil.
Yield
2 servings (serving size: 1 cup orzo and about 5 ounces shrimp)

A Great New Appetizer

Yummy and quick
Thanks to everyone for support the last few weeks. I am that much wiser and closer to my goal because of you. The next few days are going to be nuts, a little exciting and a bit scary. However, I am confident everything will be fine!
I have included a few links and a wonderful “out of the box” recipe for those of you who need this quick, fast and in a hurry (and for my friend Reggie good, fast and cheap). I was always told you can never have all 3 but I beg to differ.
www.modestneeds.org
http://www.cancer.org (On this site you can find anything from support groups, individual and research funding and treatment updates.
1 glove of garlic
1 can of biscuits
2 large tbsp. of butter or you favorite butter substitute
Baking pan

Dice the garlic and place it in the pan with the butter. Your oven should already be set to the temperature suggested on the biscuit packaging. Once the butter has melted, remove the pan from the oven and add your uncooked biscuit dough.
These should be returned to the oven and baked per the package instructions.
Once done, you will have huge fluffy garlic biscuts you can use with dinner or eat alone.
VERY YUMMY!

Don't do this unless it is MANDATORY!

Magnesium Citrate
Hello all!

Well it is officially the day BEFORE "S" day. That being said it is Manesium Citrate day, ick! For those of you that do not know what this does, please..please look it up. I just can't go into detail. I am however very excited about starting this new diet plan or rather lifestyle change after surgery. A friend turned me on to the benefits of alkaline foods and water. I will add her e-mail in my next post. But for now, I have included a list of these foods. Per the Wolfe Clinic website you should balance 75% alkaline to 25% acidic foods on your daily diet.

Check out the list. I don't think this will be very hard to do.

ALKALIZING FOODS
VEGETABLESGarlicAsparagusFermented VeggiesWatercressBeetsBroccoliBrussel sproutsCabbageCarrotCauliflowerCeleryChardChlorellaCollard GreensCucumberEggplantKaleKohlrabiLettuceMushroomsMustard GreensDulceDandelionsEdible FlowersOnionsParsnips (high glycemic)PeasPeppersPumpkinRutabagaSea VeggiesSpirulinaSproutsSquashesAlfalfaBarley GrassWheat GrassWild GreensNightshade Veggies
FRUITSAppleApricotAvocadoBanana (high glycemic)CantaloupeCherriesCurrantsDates/FigsGrapesGrapefruitLimeHoneydew MelonNectarineOrangeLemonPeachPearPineappleAll BerriesTangerineTomatoTropical FruitsWatermelonPROTEINEggsWhey Protein PowderCottage CheeseChicken BreastYogurtAlmondsChestnutsTofu (fermented)Flax SeedsPumpkin SeedsTempeh (fermented)Squash SeedsSunflower SeedsMilletSprouted SeedsNuts
OTHERApple Cider VinegarBee PollenLecithin GranulesProbiotic CulturesGreen JuicesVeggies JuicesFresh Fruit JuiceOrganic Milk(unpasteurized)Mineral WaterAlkaline Antioxidant WaterGreen TeaHerbal TeaDandelion TeaGinseng TeaBanchi TeaKombuchaSWEETENERSSteviaSPICES/SEASONINGSCinnamonCurryGingerMustardChili PepperSea SaltMisoTamariAll HerbsORIENTAL VEGETABLESMaitakeDaikonDandelion RootShitakeKombuReishiNoriUmeboshiWakameSea Veggies
ACIDIFYING FOODS
FATS & OILSAvocado OilCanola OilCorn OilHemp Seed OilFlax OilLardOlive OilSafflower OilSesame OilSunflower OilFRUITSCranberriesGRAINSRice CakesWheat CakesAmaranthBarleyBuckwheatCornOats (rolled)QuinoiRice (all)RyeSpeltKamutWheatHemp Seed FlourDAIRYCheese, CowCheese, GoatCheese, ProcessedCheese, SheepMilkButter
NUTS & BUTTERSCashewsBrazil NutsPeanutsPeanut ButterPecansTahiniWalnutsANIMAL PROTEINBeefCarpClamsFishLambLobsterMusselsOysterPorkRabbitSalmonShrimpScallopsTunaTurkeyVenisonPASTA (WHITE)NoodlesMacaroniSpaghettiOTHERDistilled VinegarWheat GermPotatoes
DRUGS & CHEMICALSChemicalsDrugs, MedicinalDrugs, PsychedelicPesticidesHerbicidesALCOHOLBeerSpiritsHard LiquorWineBEANS & LEGUMESBlack BeansChick PeasGreen PeasKidney BeansLentilsLima BeansPinto BeansRed BeansSoy BeansSoy MilkWhite BeansRice MilkAlmond Milk

Okay let's start over...

This is the first of several entries from my website, I felt it was important to share these before I move on. Thanks! :)

Walking on Faith- I will never forget 2009
On May 15, 2009, I was diagnosed with kidney cancer.
I have a mass on both my right and left kidney. The mass on my left kidney measures 3.5 x 2.8 cm and the one on the right is smaller only 15 mm. Doctor's say I'm quite lucky because they caught it early. How do I feel? How did they find the disease? What is my mental state? What will my daughter and I do? How do I know God the Father will always be there for us? WOW...where do I begin?
I would like to begin by saying that I am writing this and baring my soul to ask for help. I need a little advice from those who know about the disease. I need direction in finding the right resources to give me the knowledge. I also need some good fundraising ideas for my surgeries and after care. I also need therapy. Even just to begin makes me feel a little better.
My story:
Late last year my husband left the country to assist his aging parents. They were both ill at the time and needed a lot of help. Since then it has been a roller coaster ride making sure we can update his documentation to clear him for return. To date, this has not happened but we remain hopeful. At the time my mother had come to visit my
daughter and I to lend a hand. As you know, living in the Atlanta metro area can be quite trying for a single mother but my Mother was there to take care of things. After a few months we decided it would be best if we moved back home to Mobile, Alabama. We would be there just us girls together, helping each other.
After being there for only 3 weeks, I landed a job and was able to put my daughter in school. I really felt things were moving in the right direction. Unfortunately, on March 30, 2009 my mother passed away suddenly. Absolutely everything was in turmoil. Mayra and I were alone in basically a new city and worst of all my backbone my support was gone. I felt lost and hollow and just going through life with no real purpose. Each day was disjointed and weak. I was doing the things that needed to be done but only barely. I wanted to get in my car and just drive away. I wanted to disappear. There was one thing that kept me in place, my daughter. She keeps me motivated, moving and able to face the next day.
Now with almost a whisper, I have been thrust into a new reality cancer. I went to the Providence Hospital ER in Mobile suffering from extreme lower back pain, fever and a few other symptoms. During an ultra sound and a subsequent CT scan, I was told then I'd developed a rather large kidney stone. I was also told there was something else but a Urologist could better explain. After meeting with the Urologist on May 15th, I was advised if it weren't for the kidney stone the cancer may not have been discovered until it was too late.
When I tell you God is there, he is. When I tell you he works in mysterious ways, he does. The last eight months of my life have made me a much stronger person. I feel I can beat this and move on with my life. Unfortunately (that word again), I have such a strong desire to do this myself but on so many levels that is not possible. I can not do anything without the hand of God. I can not be so brazen as to strike out on my own and defy his will. I have listened to the doctors and they all say the same thing. I need
surgery. Unfortunately, I am leaning towards treating my health like a trip to a magnificent thrift store. Can we make a deal? Wow can I get this any cheaper? Maybe I can just make that purse myself! Oh, look at that Kenneth Cole bag for 2 bucks. Kidney cancer does not work that way. I want...well I need to do what is best not only for me but for my 4 year old daughter. Mommy needs the surgeries so we can move forward with the future.
Sometimes though, I feel my days are forced and I am still a shell just going through the motions. I have prayed and sought out guidance from the Lord.
I have been driven to write this all down and tell you this in the hopes my words will reach someone that has been there. Other than talking to doctors, I want to hear from a witness. I want to know about healthy food ideas that have worked for you, support groups if any and of course fundraising ideas. I will have two surgeries in a span of 6 weeks and will not be able to work for about 2 1/2 months. Things could get very very tight.
I have started a small drive on http://www.giveforward.org/walkingonfaith. 10% of everything I earn will go to the American Cancer Society. Without the money I will receive from the fundraiser, surgery will be impossible. My insurance coverage with my current employer is less than adequate and will not pay for my care. I do have the option of Cobra from my last employer. This will cover the surgeries but the payments are astronomical.
I will continue to add links for information I've found and check back with my progress. My hope is that what I learn and experience will be used to help someone else.
Thanks for listening and God Bless.
Do it as if there was fire in your skin. - Irish Proverb
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/home/index.asp
http://www.kidneycancer.org/
http://www.thedietchannel.com/Cancer-Prevention-Top-10-Cancer-Fighting-Foods.htm
http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/