Cream of Something Soup Mix

Thank you Pinterest and Vicki at One Orange Draft Blog for sharing this recipe with us here in cyber land. I have been on a quest to take my cooking habits back to basics, hoping to create healthy meals for my family while saving money. This recipe for Cream of Something Soup is wonderful! I did double up the dried milk and corn starch for a low salt version of the original recipe found at http://1orangegiraffe.blogspot.com/2011/07/anything-you-wanna-call-it-casserole.html?showComment=1310864846151#c3489139395376988271. Last night we made a delicious chicken and dumplings with it!

Cream of Something Soup
1 cup non fat dried milk (I doubled)
 3/4 cup cornstarch (I doubled)
1/2 cup bouillon (any flavor, cubes need to be crushed up)
4 tbsp mined onions
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp pepper

Mix together and you have a dry mix that can be used as a substitute for any cream of soup :)

1/2 cup mix + 1 1/4 cup Water = 1 can soup

This is what you end up with. Make sure to label your container with instructions. That way they are always right there!

 

Day 6 - If you want something bad enouph...

8:14 am - I knew that today would be a challenge. Finding time to fit exercise into my schedule has always been the biggest challenge and has been one of the main reasons I have not done this yet.

Although this is New Year's Eve, I still have a half a days work and a turkey that needs to go in the oven by 10 am with supervision until it is done. If I am gonna walk I need to do it now or figure out some other way to get some exercise in for me and the Pup. Pat is leaving at 9:10 for work.

I am fortunate that I can juggle my schedule as I please so even if work does not get done now, the walk will and/or vise versa.

9:24 am - The walk came before work today :) Thank you, Pat, for waiting around with Alyssa so I could get a half an hour in today. Poppy appreciates it too. It was cold, but the more I got moving the warmer it got.

Now it is time to enjoy some oatmeal with dried cranberries and little brown sugar and milk.I am feeling motivated to start Dr. Oz's 7 Day Belly Work Out later this afternoon. Has anyone started this? Monday Day 1, Rock n Roll Up exercise...I will let you know how it goes.

If you want something bad enough you will do what you need to in order for it to happen.

Day 5 - Creative energy always rules over physical energy...gotta go with the flow

10:13 - All you creative peeps will understand this. When creativity calls you gotta take it, even if you end up surrounded by words, paints or materials all day and never get off your rear! Motivation came in a different form for me today and I have to hop on it. If I don't this book will never get written ;)

I will walk, just not right now...

12:11 pm - I feel like I got some good thoughts on paper and that I am one chapter closer to being finished with the book. Pat is busy cleaning the garage but I think he is going to take a time out to enjoy a family walk.These walks are not exactly calorie burners but are good for the soul!

I foresee tomorrow as being a real challenge. Although it is a holiday, it is also a work day and a cooking day. Will I be able to get away from the desk and kitchen to take a walk? I guess only tomorrow will tell but for now, I be walking!

Day 4 - Easier said than done...

8:04 am - It is cold. I do not want to go outside! I do not want to walk, all I want to do is stay snuggled on the couch and watch cartoons with Alyssa.

8:39 am - Alyssa is awake and ignoring my request for her to walk with me...just me and Pup.

9:53 am - Still getting motivated...shoes are on, jacket and scarf are near by...the sun came out so the air is a little warmer.

10:40 am - OK, did it! Took a half an hour walk with my pup in the woods. Felt good. I am so glad that I got my buns out of the house this morning! Had coffee and a banana for breakfast, not quite hungry yet but am dreading lunch decision making. Maybe oatmeal. Maybe peanut butter toast.

See you tomorrow!

March/April Business Worth the Buzz -- Brigitte Arriaga, MY Arbonne Consultant

I like natural body care. Actually, I LOVE natural body care and cannot get enough of it! My love for natural things came about when I started working in the natural body care industry. I learned so much about what we put in and on our bodies. It erks me that harmful junk is allowed in our products, so much that I will save it for another blog post but just know, companies do not care if they are harming you just as long as they are making money.

I have a friend who is just as passionate about living clean and free of junk. Her name is Brigitte Arriaga, and she is my Arbonne consultant. Brigitte encourages you to “be the best you” and she feels that Arbonne is just the product to help you do that. Arbonne has a number of nutritional and body care products that are paraben free, vegan, gluten free and free of which ever junk concerns you.

Heard of Arbonne? Yep, it is an MLM. Nope, it is not a rip off. It started with a man in Switzerland who had a mission to create pure body care for women. Now the line has gone global, added nutritional items and has manufacturing plants all throughout the world. The closest manufacturing plant to us is in Irvine. Do you know what that means? Arbonne is a global company that employs local peeps and provides us with natural body care. Super!

So, like any body care product, it needs personal testimonials, right?!

Here is mine…When Arbonne first came into my life I was skeptical because so many companies deem themselves as natural and the only natural component to the mix is water. Not Arbonne. I tried the Vanilla Protein Powder, it is good but only fits into my diet with smoothies as it does have sugar in it. Then, I held an Arbonne party for two reasons; first, I severely needed a girls day and two, I wanted to order some Arbonne. My order had an eye shadow, lotions and lip gloss. The eye shadow I use daily, the lip gloss Alyssa (my six year old at the time) stole from me, and the lotions did not last long because they are so yummy smelling and feel so light on the skin. Brigitte was generous enough to sample me the FC5 Night Crème, which I love! My next order consisted of the FC5 Day Lotion with SPF and the FC5 Eye Cream; both of which I am very impressed with because I noticed a difference in my facial skin with in the first few days. I now look forward to washing my face!

So, there you have it! Arbonne rocks, call Brigitte!