Spiritual Idea Oct Integrity

Spiritual idea: Now we all can be more Spiritual in our own ways. Everyone has the right to choose how they believe. I do not want to preach to anyone! So my Spiritual Ideas will be ways to be better people that can even fall in to the category of being a good human being and being a productive person in not only your own life, but the lives of other around you. I thought one way of becoming a better person I will touch on the topics of values. I will cover a new value for each month.

 We all know what values are, we all have grown up learning the difference between right and wrong. We get our values from our parents, school, friends, neighbors, church, media, books, and well in all reality we get our values from all over. What we each individually choose to embrace and add to our personal lives and what means to each of us, is what defines us as individuals, and the people we choose to become.

This month I will cove the value of INTEGRITY. So what is Integrity? Integrity implies honesty, fairness, ethics, and moral character. This also means that you maintain your good name and your character in everything that you do. This means you have basic values and that you are consistent in your values and the things you do. You are not wishy washy in things. If you have integrity you will not be pushed or talked in to doing something you know is wrong or something you would never do. You will not fall into peer pressure and go with all the rest when you know what you are doing is correct in your values and standards.

 

Integrity goes hand in hand with many other values. If you have integrity, you will do the right thing no matter if people are watching you or not. You will be constant in all things that you do.

 Here are a few Quotes on INTEGRITY

"If you have integrity, nothing else matters.  If you don't have integrity, nothing else matters."  Alan Simpson

“Integrity is what we do, what we say, and what we say we do” Don Galer

“Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity.” W. Clement Stone

Quote of theMonth Oct

"Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today." —Benjamin Franklin

Preparedness Question Oct

This months Preparedness Question is brought to you by the Fire Prevention week. I wanted to touch on this subject because it is fire prevention week. 

Do you know what Fire district you live in? Do you know what are the dangers of wild fire in your area? Do you know what the fire danger is today in your area? Do you know when is your wild fire season?

Test your smoke alarms in the home. Change the batteries in your smoke detectors. Run a fire drill with your family. Check the fire extinguishers in the home. 

Whats for dinner Oct

This week menu is what we had:

Saturday : Beef roast, potatoes, carrots, and biscuits

Sunday: Italian marinated chicken breasts, green salad, rice, peaches

Monday: Homemade Vegetable beef soup (made with left over roast) I added Potatoes, carrots, celery, canned corn, and peas. Cornbread

Tuesday: Pork chops, mashed potatoes, green beans, and Mandarin oranges

Wednesday: Brats, Roasted vegetables Potatoes, carrots, onion, Rolls, Cottage cheese, and sliced apples

Thursday: Homemade Fried Chicken, Rice, green beans, and baked apples

Friday: Spaghetti, Green Salad, garlic bread

We buy what is on sale and we may eat a lot of the same types of items in any given week. We do eat a lot of potatoes, and rice in our home. The two favorite canned vegetables in the home are green beans, and corn. The favorite canned fruit is peaches and mandarin oranges. You will see a lot of these on my menus.

I also made banana muffins, apple crisp, and a cake for the week for deserts.   

Garden Idea Oct

This is a great time of year to clean up the yard and put away all summer items. This is also the time of year that you will want to clean up the last of the harvest and get the garden area ready for the winter.  

 Depending on your temperatures and your zones you may of already had your first frost. Now if you live in areas that have not had their first frost, keep your eye on the weather and stretch your growing season as long as you can. Root vegetables, last of the tomatoes and pumpkins and squashes will be going until the frost.

This is also fire prevention month and you will want to clear away all debris from around your house, rake up all leaves, pine needles, and dead bushes, tree limbs, etc. 

Nutritional Idea Oct

As Fall is here and this month is Halloween, Harvest Parties and fun things to do for the whole family.

This is a great time to remember and to be sure to serve a great nutritious meal before heading out for the evenings activities. Make a fun meal themed around Harvest, Halloween, Fall. 

This time of year, apples, pears, pumpkins, squash, stews, cider etc are a good place to start. 

You can do a simple internet search and find some fun and new recipes to try. be sure to have something that will fill you up. Be sure to eat fruits and vegetables, a starch and a protein. In the cooler nights eating a stew, chili, casserole, or soup will warm you up before heading out. 

Take a thermos filled with hot chocolate or apple cider to warm up while out in the cool nights. just do not forget the cups! 

Here are a few fun recipes I found on the net! 

Mummy-Face Pizzas 

What You Need

1 plain bagel (3-1/2 inch), cut in half

2 Tbsp. pizza sauce

2 Kraft Singles Mozzarella Cheese Slice

4 slices black olives

Make It

HEAT oven to 400ºF.
SPREAD bagel halves with sauce. Cut cheese into thin strips; place in random criss-cross fashion on tops of bagels to resemble mummy bandages. Trim ends with kitchen shears. Add olives for the eyes.
PLACE on baking sheet.
BAKE 5 min. or until bagels are crisp and cheese is melted.

http://www.kraftcanada.com/en/recipes/mummy-face-pizzas-114042.aspx 

  Hot Dog Mummies

Feast your eyes, if you dare, on these Hot Dog Mummies. They're the perfect energy food before an evening of collecting candy.

Ingredients

• 1 11-ounce can of refrigerator breadsticks
• 1 12-pack of hot dogs

• Yellow mustard

Instructions

1. For each mummy, separate one breadstick from the roll and use kitchen shears or a knife to slice it in half lengthwise to create two thinner strips.
   
2. Wrap one strip at a time snugly around the hot dog. Depending on the size of the hot dog, you may not need all of both strips. Leave about 1/2 inch of hot dog exposed for the face area and continue wrapping the top of the hot dog.
   
3. Bake the mummies on a cookie sheet at 350º for 15 to 18 minutes or until the breadstick wrapping is golden brown.
   
4. Remove the mummies from the oven and cool them for 5 minutes. Add yellow mustard eyes just before serving. Makes 12 mummies.
   

http://familyfun.go.com/halloween/halloween-recipes/halloween-dinners/hot-dog-mummies-715031/

Mummy Meatloaf 

Before heading out with your kids for a night of trick-or-treating, put a chilling spin on some classic comfort foods. Serve our Mummy Meatloaf and a side of cheesy swamp creatures, and your little tricksters won't be able to stop ogling their food! (Or will it be ogling them?)

Ingredients

• Meatloaf from your favorite recipe (ours used about 2 pounds of meat)
• American cheese

• Olive slices

Instructions

1. Make your favorite meatloaf recipe and shape the loaf to resemble a mummy's body with crossed arms. Bake the loaf until it's cooked through.
   
2. Let it rest about 3 minutes, then lay 1-inch-wide strips of American cheese across the body as shown, leaving a narrow space on the head for the olive slice eyes. Trim any overhanging cheese with scissors and return the mummy to the still-warm oven to slightly melt the cheese, about 1 minute.
   
   http://familyfun.go.com/halloween/halloween-recipes/halloween-dinners/mummy-meatloaf-929692/
   
   
   

   Swamp Creatures

   
   Create a spooky Halloween supper with these cheesy critters, the perfect accompaniment for our Mummy Meatloaf.

Ingredients

• Macaroni and cheese
• Sautéed spinach

• Olive slices

Instructions

1. Mix up a batch of macaroni and cheese, then spoon it into greased muffin cups and bake until firm, about 25 minutes.
   
2. Let the creatures rest for about 10 minutes, then gently remove them from the tins. Place them upside down on a swamp of sautéed spinach and add olive slice eyes.
   

http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/swamp-creatures-929705/

Frugal Idea Oct

It’s pumpkin season, and many people have the tradition of visiting the pumpkin patch. Whether selecting the perfect pumpkin for carving jack-o’-lanterns or decorating them un-carved, selecting one is simple. Look for a pumpkin that has good weight, a stem that isn’t cut too short to ensure that it’s not decaying, stands well for display, and doesn’t show any visible softness or bruises.

Although all varieties can be fun to display, not all pumpkins are ideal for cooking. If you’re interested in cooking pumpkin, look for smaller pie pumpkins that weigh about four pounds because they are sweeter and less stringy. A four-pound pumpkin should yield about 1-1/2 cups of cooked, mashed pumpkin.

The following are ways to enjoy your pumpkin.

DECORATION: Painting pumpkins can be less messy and less risky than carving for young children, and there are no concerns that your pumpkin might not last long before rotting. You can embellish them by using markers, stencils, acrylic paints, glue, stickers, sequins, buttons, glitter and yarn. Kids can even decoupage pumpkins by using decoupage sealer and magazine cutouts. Mini-pumpkin gourds are cute when a piece of floral foam is hot glued to the top and lollipops are inserted into the foam. Hollowed-out larger pumpkins make pretty vases for flowers and can be used as a cooler for bottles of soft drinks, or you can place a jar or plastic container inside and fill with treats.

COOKED: You can cook and puree pumpkin and use it in various recipes that call for canned pumpkin and even some squash recipes.

STEAMED: Cut the pumpkin in half, and remove seeds and stringy pulp. Cut into small chunks, peel, and steam for 45 minutes.

MICROWAVED: Cut it in half, scoop out the inside, and microwave for six to eight minutes or until tender.

BAKED: Cut in half, scoop out, place on a baking sheet, and bake at 350 F for around 45 minutes or until tender. Once removed from the oven, scrape the cooked pumpkin out to separate it from the peel, and mash or puree.

BOILED: Prepare same as you would for steamed pumpkin, but immerse directly into salted water and boil 25 to 30 minutes or until tender.

Cooked pumpkin can be frozen and stored in freezer-safe containers for six months or refrigerated for up to four days.

DON’T TOSS THE SEEDS: The seeds can be toasted and enjoyed as a sweet or salty snack. Simply remove as much pulp as you can, and decide whether you’d like to bake, pan-roast, or microwave your seeds. Once they’re roasted, you can add flavors such as seasoned salt, cinnamon and sugar, cayenne pepper, soy sauce, celery salt, Worcestershire sauce or garlic salt.

BAKED: Using 2 cups of pumpkin seeds, toss seeds in a bowl with 3 teaspoons of melted butter or olive oil, spread a single layer on a baking sheet, sprinkle lightly with seasoning of choice, and bake in a 300 F oven for 40 minutes or until toasted golden brown. You can add more seasoning after they’re roasted.

STOVETOP: Pan-roast pumpkin seeds by adding 1 cup at a time in a skillet with heat on medium. Stir them frequently, and continue heating until they puff up and are brown. Remove from heat and season.

MICROWAVED: Using a glass dish, microwave seeds in 1-cup increments. Start with 1 cup of seeds tossed in the glass dish with 2 teaspoons of oil, and microwave a minute at a time until crispy. Season after cooked.

Pumpkin Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup shortening

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup cooked pumpkin

3/4 cup milk

2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 F. Sift first seven ingredients together, and set aside. In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar together, add the pumpkin and milk, and mix well. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Gradually add the sifted ingredients.

Bake in a greased and floured pan: two loaf pans, 50 to 55 minutes; 13-by-9-inch pan, 30 to 35 minutes; Bundt pan, 55 to 65 minutes; muffin tin, 20 to 25 minutes.

Buget 101 Oct

We all want to save money and still have fun for Halloween. This year give away pencils, stickers, temporary tattoos, party favors, etc. Instead of giving away candy to trick or treaters.  Do you know about how many trick or treaters you get every year? Do you live in an area where you get a lot of little monsters at your door? Do you live in an area where you only get a few little goblins? Halloween is fun for kids and for adults. You can get other things other than candy to give away and still have fun.

Non Food Item Oct

Many people own electric can openers. When the power goes out they do not work. You will need a manual can opener. Many cans now days have pull tops on top of the cans. There are still many cans that do not have that and you will need a can opener to open them up. There are many types and kinds of can openers and brands to buy.

Get one for your kitchen, one for your 72 hour kit, and one as a back up and put in your food storage area. 

Pet Idea Oct

Pets and Halloween

Most people all  love Halloween and we need to think of the pets as well and how they will react to all the extra visitors at the door. We need to keep our pets safe and still have fun.

Loud noises like the doorbell going off, children screaming, music blasting, more cars, and extra visitors at the front door can be bad for some animals. Keep pets safe by keeping them away from the main area of the house, put them in a room with a closed door, so they can chill out and there is no danger to them running out the door, or having them over react to the excitement of the night.

If you plan on taking your pet out with you for the night while treat or treating with the kids, them keep the pet on a short leash, make sure they have their pet ID tags, and even put glow in the dark tape on the leash, collar, etc  so people can see them in the dark.  Event he most gentle pet can get spooked by kids, and adults in costumes, and all the extra cars. 

Make sure you talk with your children not to share their stash of candy with the family pet, Fido and Fluffy do not need candy, as most will make them sick.

Be sure to be careful with lit candles, Jack O Lanterns. Pets and even children can knock them over and you can have a fire. Keep flammables out of reach of children and Pets. Cats go places they should not and even high shelves are not always safe. 

If a pet wears a costume, make sure it is not constricting, causing your pet to trip, or blocking its vision. Do not force a pet to wear a costume if it demonstrates discomfort. All of the above can cause undue stress and possibly cause aggression in even the nicest dog, goldfish, or iguana.

As you will be having all kinds of extra people coming into your yard, and up to your door. This is a night to put all outdoor pets inside. Not only for the safety of your neighbors and the little monsters that will be coming to visit you, but  for the pet itself. There are many people that will pull pranks, jokes and cause mischief and your pet could be teased, stolen, tortured, and even killed.  Be extra watchful if you own a black cat or even a black dog! Even with the joys of Halloween there is a dark side to some people.  We personally  have owned many a black cats and we owned black lab dogs for many years. The week before and after Halloween I would make sure the Cats and the Dogs were well watched and or kept inside and let out only under close supervision. We lived in the county and the animals would just out into the yard. The 2 weeks around Halloween The pets were kept close and on Oct 30-Nov 1 the animals were stuck in the house; well other than going out and going potty on leashes.

Check out the following link for more ideas. 

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/pet-care-tips/halloween-safety-tips.aspx