A Beautiful Life...

What a journey this is turning into.
I am so excited.

What is so fascinating is how much
of the simplifying and de-stressing revolves
around the kitchen, in my case.

I spend so much time in the kitchen.
Whether it is cooking, making candles,
hosting friends or baking with Chelsea.
Unfortunately, our kitchen is
not laid out very well.


Here you see the countertop on which
I do everything.
My friends will tell you they have
never seen so much of it. I am headed
back to put the basket back...you know
the catch-all basket for pens, box tops,
outgoing mail, coupons, etc.

The candle stuff that usually lives here
has been put away for two weeks. I am
on vacation from making them...just for a
bit.

We have plans to make some changes this
Spring. Nothing too major...just a new
floor, additional cabinets and counterspace.

What a difference this will make!
I can't wait to show you...
when it happens.
We are on the lookout for cabinetry
to match our existing cabinets. We
will change out all of the countertops.
Yippee!!!!

I found some tiles at Longwood Gardens that
I would like to scatter around in a new tiled
backsplash...it would be fun to learn how to
tile!

Poor Warren, this project keeps getting bigger.

You might remember that last week I determined that it
is time to begin making our own bread.
The current counterspace, seen above,
is not really great for doing more than
one thing at a time...but I am determined to
make it work. Additional counterspace will
make this a much more pleasant and "likely to
happen" experience. However, as I have managed
nicely for the past five years I imagine that
it should not be an excuse now.

Karen at Blue Barn Bulletin
was so sweet in giving me several of her bread
recipes. Others have offered...so I know where
to go should I need additional recipe support!
Thank guys!
You rock!

I spent some time searching out High Fructose
Corn Syrup. The evidence is not so convincing
that that the HFCS is, in itself, so harmful...
there is a lot of debate on this matter.
It is as much about how much we end up consuming
because it is in so many of the products we consume
without thinking about it. Such as the whole
wheat bread that I referenced last week.

As is the case with most things...moderation
is so key. I have always been so proud of the
fact that I don't use a lot of sugar and only
add salt to completed dishes, rather than double
salting everything. However, I have been
conveniently ignoring all of the sugars and salt
we have consumed in the pre-prepared foods.

These foods are so easy and inexpensive to come by at
our local discount stores. The Amish grocery we
use is full of these and it is so easy to pick
them up for the kids to use. Simple to prepare
in the microwave, etc.

One afternoon this week I meandered through
the pantry. I threw some things away. Decided
to use some others up in a measured way, and
spent some time looking for alternatives for
others.

I have to say that I struggle against all of this
because of my Dad's history of diabetes and how
it impacted our family.
I hated it!
As a child and teen,
I "knew" I would never read labels or cook low
fat...low sugar...it was probably a very honest
reaction to a traumatic event and forced lifestyle.

I also have to say that my Mom was a great example.
She served great tasting meals.
She researched and did the things that I am
about to begin doing.
It is not about that.
It is that I totally hated a disease that could
be so pervasive and controlling!

I hated a disease that could steal my father
away. Still do. But that doesn't make it
any less real and a threat.
So, it is time to grow up!

Now, it is up to me to make these changes, not under
duress, but in a way that will not turn the kids off.
In a way that will improve their health and happiness.
They are at very high risk for diabetes because of the
family genetics at work.

Oyyy...this is turning into therapy.
Good Grief!

Oh well, it is too late to turn back now.

It is so much fun to read how you are enjoying
a more beautiful life. For more posts on living beautifully
see Melissa's Beautiful Life Link.They are not all this self centered and heavy, I promise!

Thanks for popping by...

♥♥Becky K.♥♥