Grain, Bread Food Swaps to Cut Calories, Lose Weight

I started dieting 18 months ago. In the first year, I didn't lose much. I cut calories but was still hungry. My problem was bread; it's filling but highly caloric. I won't cut grains completely. Instead, my strategy is to "tweak." Here are bread, starch and grain switches to cut calories, get full and eat healthier. Use this shopping list to for cheap, reduced-calorie diet options.  Starch Food Swaps to Cut Calories, Lose Weight 

Addiction Recovery Tips for Shopaholic Parents

Shopping addiction is one of the trickiest habits to break, particularly for parents. Kids need many things, and it's not like we can stop buying. We're constantly confronted by temptation. If you're a spendaholic, here's my recovery plan to break the overspending habit. Money Saving Tips for Shopaholics

Cheap, Homemade Valentine Craft Projects

After 25 years as a public school teacher, homeschool parent, VBS-Sunday school-CCD teacher, project organizer, parent, club leader and do-it-yourselfer, I've cut out more crafts pieces than I care to remember! I've assembled countless crafts for units, themes and holidays over my career. And though it was enjoyable, it took a lot of energy and organization. Here are tips to simplify those crafts, cheap and easy. Note: as you read the linked articles, you'll notice numerous spelling errors. My spellcheck/edit tool wasn't functioning at the time and I've not been able to fix it. I apologize for those mistakes. Read more

Cheap, Educational Stocking Stuffers for Kids

I have to laugh when I see what stores tout as "cheap" stocking stuffers. I don't consider anything over $5 "cheap" especially not for stocking presents which are typically filler gifts. If my child is getting three or four bigger, pricier gifts under the tree, I can't afford to spend big on the stocking, too. Having four kids to shop for, Christmas is crazy-expensive enough without the stockings.  Read more

Foods Donations for Holiday Drives

Tis the season for giving and my favorite is food drives. I love seeing people come together, across religious and cultural lines, to reach out to neighbors in need. If you're donating, be sure to follow the suggestions list. But if there are no suggestions here's a list of food items that are always needed. I've put in many hours in food banks, food pantries and shelter missions. I've seen first-hands that some foods there's never enough of and some that are donated in abundance. Here's a food bank shopping list.  Best Items to Donate to Thanksgiving and Christmas Food Drives

Black Friday Shopping Strategies

 Black Friday...that 'morning after' when bargain-hunters descend like a swarm of locusts and devour every 'hot buy' in site, leaving exhausted, shell-shocked store employees and ravaged shelves. It's the great American dream in the land of plenty! I've braved this tsunami of shoppers before and have a battle plan to share, worthy of General Sherman himself! This was written about stores in West Michigan, but they're mostly big box stores that are available across the U.S. Best Buy, Walmart, Target, Staples, Menards, Sears and mall chain stores. My Black Friday game plan involves three phases: SURVEY, STAKE-OUT, SIEGE and SWEEP-UP Read more Black Friday Shopping Tips 

Jerusalem Cookbook--Kitchen Must Have and a Lot More

I love to cook--I particularly love to experiment with different ethnic foods. My youngest son mentioned a cookbook he'd heard about on NPR (he listens to intellectual radio, so yeah--brag!) The book "Jerusalem" celebrates this religiously and culturally diverse region through food. I'd forgotten his suggestion until, perusing new books at Barnes & Noble, I happened on a cool book called "Jerusalem." When I mentioned it, Jake quipped, "That's the one I was telling you about!"

The authors, both natives, are agemates but from different poles of the religious (and geographic) map. Yotam Ottolenghi is a Jew from the western side of Jerusalem and Sami Tamimi, an Arab from eastern Jerusalem. Not only do they share recipes and historical information from their own backgrounds, but they include cultural tidbits from the myriad of heritages represented in this "flavorful" city. Jerusalem is a celebration of differences and a tasty mix of similarities. And what better medium than food to share it? I, a Dutch-Irish, native protestant, Catholic convert was proud to recognize many of the terms used and I look forward to exploring it further. Beyond a cookbook, "Jerusalem" is a comprehensive social studies unit. Run, don't walk,  to your local bookseller and get your copy. And for some yummy Mediterranean recipes a la this newb, read How to Make your Own Za'ater.