tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2572916020888890382024-02-20T22:08:10.424-08:00Daddy Go To Timeout!The tales of a stay at home dad and his posse of colorful kidsBrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03090314567856605067noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257291602088889038.post-56810052658299377802013-09-04T18:23:00.004-07:002013-09-04T18:23:31.172-07:00S.O.S. I'm an Addict (and you might be too)I have to confess, I am an addict, not to alcohol or drugs or even cigarettes. Nope, I am addicted to food and I need S.O.S. You know what, some of you are too. Here is a short questionnaire to see if you are a food addict.<br />
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1. Are you Obese? To find the answer go to this link: <a href="http://www.freebmicalculator.net/bmi-chart.php" target="_blank">BMI Calculator</a><br />
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That's it. One question. Yes, I could add more questions, but the one above provides you with enough information to determine whether or not you are likely a food addict. How can I say that! While that statement isn't 100% true, it is very close! <br />
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Before I go on, I must confess that I am obese based on the chart above and will be considered obese until I lose another 17 lbs. By the way, I need to tell you that during the month of August I lost 15 lbs. I will write a more complete post when I get my lab results back. So anyway, I am both obese and a food addict and it is my contention that almost all people who are obese are as well.<br />
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So anyway, I am an addict. I am not addicted to just food in general but rather to S.O.S.: the three substances found in food that cause addiction. What are they?<br />
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<b>SUGAR OIL (or fat) SALT</b></div>
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Now lets take another short quiz:</div>
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Which of these foods do you crave even when you are not particularly hungry?</div>
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Broccoli Ice Cream Potato Chips Black Beans French Fries Soda</div>
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Cheese Nachos Chocolate Cheese Cake White Rice Mixed Greens</div>
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Spinach Steak Popeye's Fried Chicken Carrot Chocolate Chip Cookie</div>
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Did you pick the foods that were obviously healthy or did you pick the foods that are full of Sugar, Oil and Salt? I'm pretty sure which foods you probably picked and there is a reason for it. I will let you know why in my next blog.</div>
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Until then, there is a saying: </div>
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<i>Some people eat to live and some people live to eat.</i></div>
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I know what I am, but what are you?</div>
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Peace</div>
Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03090314567856605067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257291602088889038.post-47306505883055602762013-08-26T18:15:00.001-07:002013-08-26T18:15:45.253-07:00Three Yummy RecipesOK here is the long awaited recipe for the Black Bean Soup. It is stupidly simple and lends itself to modifications. <br />
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<b>Stupidly Simple Black Bean Soup</b></div>
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Ingredients for 4 Servings:<br />
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2 cans of black beans (drained) or 3 cups of scratch made black beans.<br />
Vegetable stock (you decide how much, more for thinner soup.)<br />
3 bay leaves<br />
Cumin (how much depends on how much you like cumin)<br />
Oregano (to taste)<br />
Garlic (depends on how much you like garlic)<br />
2 Avocados<br />
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Combine the black beans and broth and blend (in a blender of course).<br />
Add soup and the spices to a large sauce pan and heat until boiling and turn off.<br />
Meanwhile slice up the Avocados. Pour soup into a bowl and place avocados on top.<br />
Eat and enjoy. I told you it was stupidly simple.<br />
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<b>Enchilada Beans</b></div>
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Tonight we had Enchilada Beans. We used Rattlesnake Beans but you can use pintos.<br />
Below is a picture. Yes, I did spike mine with Sriracha......and it was goooooood!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibh358vsP58UG1szCWwhmywf0-T1p1hOCMaFf2KTc1Qwsv4drRvq_SwAwkDIC3F4QNguIbv_9HPiJ0R8_TVXweoo6Jwo3SOaOjQ6RUrJnrN1bitl91gh1MXITaJ5OrECrBO0JKnNgB7lXL/s1600/photo+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibh358vsP58UG1szCWwhmywf0-T1p1hOCMaFf2KTc1Qwsv4drRvq_SwAwkDIC3F4QNguIbv_9HPiJ0R8_TVXweoo6Jwo3SOaOjQ6RUrJnrN1bitl91gh1MXITaJ5OrECrBO0JKnNgB7lXL/s320/photo+(3).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Ingredients for several people:</div>
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3 cups of dried Pinto Beans</div>
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Lots of water</div>
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36 oz of Vegetable Broth</div>
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Two 14 oz cans of Hatch (or any other) enchilada sauce.</div>
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One large onion diced.</div>
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1-2 tbsp of cumin</div>
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Oregano (if you like it)</div>
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Salt (as little as you can get away with as it is bad for you)</div>
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Soak the beans overnight in lots of water (say three inches over the top of the beans)</div>
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Drain and rinse beans. Place beans, broth, onions, enchilada sauce and spices in large pot and simmer low for several hrs, (heck I don't know 3 or 4 I guess) until soft.</div>
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Serve over rice. If you get an endorphin rush from hot sauce or salsa add some to your bowl. This is a really yummy meal.</div>
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<b>Arugula and Pepito Salad with Sun Dried Tomato and Italian Sweet Tomato Dressing</b></div>
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Arugula and Pepito Salad (as seen above) serves four:</div>
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One large package of baby arugula</div>
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1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds raw or toasted.</div>
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6 oz jar of sun dried tomatoes in olive oil</div>
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4 oz of sweet Italian red peppers (these usually come in a 12 oz jar).</div>
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Vegetable broth </div>
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2 tsp of fresh garlic</div>
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Salt and pepper to taste.</div>
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Blend the Sun dried tomatoes (and the olive oil), peppers, garlic and broth (more broth for a thinner dressing) I used about 1/4 cup.</div>
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Toast the pumpkin seeds in a pan on the stove for about 3-4 minutes or until they start to pop. Use a spatula to turn them.</div>
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Toss about 2-3 tbsp of the dressing with the Arugula (yes you will have most of the dressing left over)</div>
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Toss in the pumpkin seeds.</div>
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This is wonderful salad. I absolutely love arugula, It has a super nutty taste and the pumpkin seeds just bring out that flavor. If you are not a vegan you can add a few tbsp of blue cheese or Gorgonzola to this salad. You can also substitute toasted sunflower seeds, walnuts or even slivered almonds.</div>
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Please enjoy and do not sweat the details. Vegetarian, vegan and healthy eating should be simple and fun!</div>
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One last thing. These recipes are self created. I have been super inspired to eat healthy and tasty food. I have really enjoyed creating these dishes. Most of them have been super yummy, but a few have been dismal failures, like the Veggie Pad Thai that we had yesterday for lunch. We threw it out.....all of it.</div>
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Peace</div>
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<br />Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03090314567856605067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257291602088889038.post-26227857798058421742013-08-21T17:19:00.006-07:002013-08-21T17:19:49.381-07:00Kung Pao Tofu <div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Kung Pao Tofu </b></div>
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Several people have asked me for some recipes so I'm going to share tonight's dinner. I swear I will share the bean soup recipe soon.</div>
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Kung Pao Tofu</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgNaZ2wdKJTClkca0eNGShAgfWElcaSRqtzqKHzp_lYmB88k301MxDSOr80hNeYucx8U6RUlU0pt7KSqbZv-erAqH-DSHbDHJp2iRAczs3zJzIo-8pVTcq8-LN__l6szlj8WPuES7HjypN/s1600/Kung+Pao+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgNaZ2wdKJTClkca0eNGShAgfWElcaSRqtzqKHzp_lYmB88k301MxDSOr80hNeYucx8U6RUlU0pt7KSqbZv-erAqH-DSHbDHJp2iRAczs3zJzIo-8pVTcq8-LN__l6szlj8WPuES7HjypN/s320/Kung+Pao+1.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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So, before you look at this recipe, it is important to know that I don't ever make a recipe from a cookbook exactly as specified. Also, I rarely measure and therefore I never make something exactly the same way twice.</div>
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Five and a half years ago when Carrie and I went to China to get Grace I fell in love with real Chinese food. I say REAL because Chinese food in China compared to here in the states is like comparing Taco Bell to a real Mexican food restaurant. The exception being the restaurants in a big city Chinatown, like San Francisco, N.Y. or even Houston. We ate Chinese food three times a day for three weeks and I never got tired of it. I also never saw General Tso Chicken or Kung Pao Chicken on any menu. With that said I decided to make a vegetarian version of the classic American style Kung Pao Chicken without the meat and most of the oil. The oil in tonight's version could easily be cut in half. Here I am going to give you the low fat, vegan version, as I will make it next time.</div>
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Ingredients to feed four adults:</div>
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1 pkg of firm or extra firm tofu.</div>
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2 cups of each of the following:</div>
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white onions</div>
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thin sliced carrots</div>
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bell pepper (I prefer red, and they were cheap this week)</div>
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celery</div>
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1 cup of low salt or unsalted dry roasted peanuts</div>
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soy sauce</div>
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fresh garlic</div>
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fresh ginger (finely minced)</div>
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vegetable broth</div>
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cooking spray</div>
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Kung Pao sauce ( I used a store bought version this time but it had too much sugar, next time I will look up a low calorie version on line and make it myself)</div>
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Step 1:</div>
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Remove the tofu from it's package and press it. Below is a video link to show you how to do it. Please do a better job than she did in cutting it. Also, a large pot full of water makes a better weight. </div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTJtLdSyTbw">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTJtLdSyTbw</a></div>
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Step 2: </div>
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Dice the tofu into 3/4 inch cubes</div>
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Flavor the tofu by soaking it in a solution of :</div>
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<li>1/4 cup of vegetable broth</li>
<li>1-2 Tbsp of soy sauce</li>
<li>1 Tbsp of minced garlic</li>
<li>1 Tbsp minced ginger</li>
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This solution should be mostly absorbed in less than an hour.</div>
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Cook on a shallow baking sheet at 350 for 15 minutes.</div>
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or you can do this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdUEgz1Vo2k">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdUEgz1Vo2k</a></div>
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Steps one and two can be done days ahead.</div>
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Step 3:</div>
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Normally I use a wok and a cajun cooker when I make stir fry. It is the only way I know to get large amounts of watery vegetables to sear and caramelize, which is how you get an authentic Chinese flavor. If you don't have a wok make sure you cook in a nonstick pan and cook in much smaller batches. As it is, I make this recipe in two batches, one mild for the kids and one spicy for Carrie and me.</div>
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Dice the vegetables ahead of time and have them ready when you start to cook.</div>
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Coat the wok with cooking spray. </div>
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Heat wok until it starts to smoke.</div>
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Add the onions, stir for 20 seconds.</div>
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Add the carrots, stir for 20 seconds.</div>
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Add the peppers, stir for 20 seconds.</div>
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Add the celery, stir for 20 seconds.</div>
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Add the Kung Pao Sauce and cook down until it becomes thick, usually two minutes.</div>
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Sprinkle and stir in the peanuts.</div>
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Turn off the heat.</div>
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Serve over rice.</div>
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As made, this recipe cuts out more than 95% of the oil.</div>
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Enjoy.</div>
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Kitty Kat loved it, especially the Tofu!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6xT_z6ubioCdOPymQ2FBeRQENjak0tel8ZXWAeUFrnjxusZfPvF4stygGXZuW6_wQae8aRHMRBdvTjXm7bHR3kVqYjxTiDNmsVOMXkvifKq4prvxuKWSi2Azn67w-u4eVVcCYushhy57d/s1600/Kung+Pao+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6xT_z6ubioCdOPymQ2FBeRQENjak0tel8ZXWAeUFrnjxusZfPvF4stygGXZuW6_wQae8aRHMRBdvTjXm7bHR3kVqYjxTiDNmsVOMXkvifKq4prvxuKWSi2Azn67w-u4eVVcCYushhy57d/s320/Kung+Pao+2.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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PS: Is anyone in my neck of the woods interested in taking a vegan cooking class from me? Please let me know. </div>
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Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03090314567856605067noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257291602088889038.post-29136661554314129782013-08-19T18:18:00.000-07:002013-08-19T18:24:10.201-07:0010 Observations on Day 19After 18 days of eating a new diet I have a few observations:<br />
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<b>1</b>. I weigh 201 lbs. which means I have lost 11 pounds.This is not water weight. <br />
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<b>2</b>. I seem to be taking in on average 1800 calories per day. This is not a target or goal, just an observation. I am counting for now just to see what I average in caloric intake.<br />
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<b>3</b>. I am not hungry. If I am I eat. I don't feel deprived. I do still crave certain foods like ribs, bacon, sausage and Mexican food.<br />
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<b>4</b>. For the most part the food I am eating is good. It's good, but not great. It is good enough though and the fact that I am feeling better makes up the difference.<br />
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<b>5. </b> I am getting used to not eating meat and<b> </b>dairy. I think that I will like this diet even more after 30 days.<br />
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<b>6</b>. My kids like most of the food and are eating much better. They are eating a better variety of foods. They do not complain about the fact that they are not eating candy, ice cream, cookies etc. They are enjoying the fruit and smoothies I serve them instead.<br />
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<b>7</b>. I am getting plenty of protein (more about that later).<br />
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<b>8</b>. I don't spend as much time obsessing about what I'm going to eat. Food for me is an addiction for sure.<br />
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<b>9</b>. Carrie is losing weight too. She looks great.<br />
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<b>10</b>. The more I feel better the more I want other people to know about this.<br />
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Peace<br />
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<br />Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03090314567856605067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257291602088889038.post-18075512009729171132013-08-13T17:19:00.001-07:002013-08-13T17:19:12.682-07:00Tonight's Dinner: Tacos with Green Chili Quinoa<div style="text-align: center;">
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Vegetarian Tacos with Green Chili Quinoa and Kidney Beans<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEQoUA7bo2ZCNg1IsVZce95UYF0FSkbqs9-QY6lkb1ULp-_P7jLx2I3mR6Q_i1S7p6PwKM3-OS2DZzjEhdxzjgZudcGPkzPjwh7BX7rZtqT7NA_GafvsN6KJIHjkAZgyk-h_csl9Yke56B/s1600/Tacos.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEQoUA7bo2ZCNg1IsVZce95UYF0FSkbqs9-QY6lkb1ULp-_P7jLx2I3mR6Q_i1S7p6PwKM3-OS2DZzjEhdxzjgZudcGPkzPjwh7BX7rZtqT7NA_GafvsN6KJIHjkAZgyk-h_csl9Yke56B/s320/Tacos.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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Recipe:</div>
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<u>Tacos</u></div>
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1 package of Morningstar Farms Crumbles</div>
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1 medium onion</div>
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Lettuce to top the tacos</div>
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jarred salsa--tonight it was Sadie's Hot</div>
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Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix:</div>
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2 Tbs of Chili Powder</div>
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2 tsp of Cumin</div>
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1 tsp salt</div>
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1/2 tsp of sugar</div>
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1/2 cup of water</div>
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Sweat the onions, add the crumbles and saute until it begins to turn brown. Meanwhile, add together the dry seasoning ingredients in a separate bowl and add the water. Pour the seasoning mix over the crumbles and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.</div>
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<u>Quinoa</u></div>
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For this recipe I used Rainbow Quinoa purchased at Whole Foods. Any Quinoa would do. I also used a rice cooker for this and it came out perfect, but you don't have to use one.</div>
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1 cup Quinoa</div>
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1/2 cup of chopped green chilies</div>
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1 1/2 cups of broth of your choice--I used organic vegetable broth found on the soup aisle</div>
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1 tsp cumin</div>
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1 tsp salt</div>
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1 can of kidney beans</div>
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Cook as directed or until the rice cooker goes ding. Drain and rinse the kidney beans and heat for one minute in the microwave. Combine and toss.</div>
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Next time I make this I will increase the cumin and I will pour a can of green chili enchilada sauce over it. Carrie said she prefers it without the kidney beans.</div>
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Pears rounded out the meal.</div>
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It was totally yummy.</div>
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I will post the recipes for the Black Bean Soup and the Tomato Avocado Salad later.</div>
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Peace.</div>
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Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03090314567856605067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257291602088889038.post-19600907639176784092013-08-12T16:16:00.000-07:002013-08-12T16:16:07.530-07:00A Saturday Dinner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Saturday night we had hamburgers, corn, salad and fruit for dinner. The hamburgers were Morning Star Farms Grillers. The Buns were Ezekiel Buns and the salad was Romaine, Avocado and Tomato.<br />
Note to my family and friends who are concerned about protein: The patty alone supplied 75% of my children's daily need. The pistachios that they had for a snack earlier supplied another 25%. When you add in breakfast and lunch, the kids went way over on their protein requirements for the day. Oops, I had better be careful not to give them too much protein on this vegetarian diet! I don't want them to stress their kidneys at such an early age (snicker)! Between the burger and bun Carrie and I received over 50% of our daily need of protein. I think I will do a post later about the whole "vegetarians don't get enough protein" fallacy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinRsWt8ztd-m7GyA4UC47zeah9QPqbQTLsrdMhqSafsAvku7mM7XYnh7azxDg-4MiutVWP1gDGzNxZxvtDnzdajxOVbgGPWTrTQxOXldZpSOajfJ-ayPxoZDj_2l2spRCn2brRSqxEkbVJ/s1600/IMG_0730.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinRsWt8ztd-m7GyA4UC47zeah9QPqbQTLsrdMhqSafsAvku7mM7XYnh7azxDg-4MiutVWP1gDGzNxZxvtDnzdajxOVbgGPWTrTQxOXldZpSOajfJ-ayPxoZDj_2l2spRCn2brRSqxEkbVJ/s320/IMG_0730.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here is a closeup of the salad</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5D43joRNfsVicxlkAZXUsKKNEauQYI_u0z68LfopXY-K1MshiuxKtS-HOA4PwgzxEKKGmDS0hQW9s8eTwUpq6FGxjvxnoYu-PaZ_QmispdsL786-TcGn6OYtiWiVDS4FlAto3wUGbqaEQ/s1600/IMG_0725.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5D43joRNfsVicxlkAZXUsKKNEauQYI_u0z68LfopXY-K1MshiuxKtS-HOA4PwgzxEKKGmDS0hQW9s8eTwUpq6FGxjvxnoYu-PaZ_QmispdsL786-TcGn6OYtiWiVDS4FlAto3wUGbqaEQ/s320/IMG_0725.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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Here is our new Mayonnaise. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOre9QVlotI85CjeETqTvJuGpS5cgJCDZsPdmnAoiwwqY9B7mWCJ7mbcamXQ_5lJm6Q2BVtw7qCExzih2lCZJ1dr5-OU25nXGmv9witOF3_HrsaIDccuA5rHTH-7rsXZ3QMm5QECAGHzMb/s1600/IMG_0728.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOre9QVlotI85CjeETqTvJuGpS5cgJCDZsPdmnAoiwwqY9B7mWCJ7mbcamXQ_5lJm6Q2BVtw7qCExzih2lCZJ1dr5-OU25nXGmv9witOF3_HrsaIDccuA5rHTH-7rsXZ3QMm5QECAGHzMb/s320/IMG_0728.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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It is fat free and about 10 calories when used on a sandwich or burger.</div>
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Here is a closer closeup of the salad with the dressing.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggGDCe_l9nLUjlpPy7HL-unrPTNGdJQhliw15kbE9PAlggt8MSkEhjVrq5IgB6yQBHM24s4N4r2go4rphnUHqD1kAFfoJeprVHPsRT2NvLVkB2cM5Vam53ppo_CJlT35n7AOLvB2Vj_6Jx/s1600/IMG_0727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggGDCe_l9nLUjlpPy7HL-unrPTNGdJQhliw15kbE9PAlggt8MSkEhjVrq5IgB6yQBHM24s4N4r2go4rphnUHqD1kAFfoJeprVHPsRT2NvLVkB2cM5Vam53ppo_CJlT35n7AOLvB2Vj_6Jx/s320/IMG_0727.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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Anyone want the recipe for this?</div>
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It was yummy.</div>
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All in all the dinner was fantastic, filling, yummy and the kids loved it too. Looking forward to hearing more feedback or questions from you guys.</div>
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Peace.</div>
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<br />Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03090314567856605067noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257291602088889038.post-76377946114686225962013-08-10T14:45:00.000-07:002013-08-10T14:45:40.080-07:00Day 10 (Already?)Well, Carrie and I are 10 days into the 28 Days to changing our health program so I thought I should post a before pic.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgELDdhwi85tPkAG7e9Wlte9ejRLfUyenwNeHoqk136dQLHbpOZaolyb9r696TOp9zSiEEWqdMTIpcTtocbayZwKzPoDxq_ibEZ2SSvYTTSiIX_eYKmj8pLsfzxCErKnMjUxKBKm_TAHl4S/s1600/IMG_1005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgELDdhwi85tPkAG7e9Wlte9ejRLfUyenwNeHoqk136dQLHbpOZaolyb9r696TOp9zSiEEWqdMTIpcTtocbayZwKzPoDxq_ibEZ2SSvYTTSiIX_eYKmj8pLsfzxCErKnMjUxKBKm_TAHl4S/s320/IMG_1005.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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Ain't He A Beauty? When I saw this picture taken just a few days before we started the 28 Days, I knew I just had to include it as my before picture.<br />
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Below, is a picture of the haul from our first trip to the grocery store. Note, it is almost all fruits and vegetables and very little processed food. 60% of the food we purchase is located in the produce section. 30% is found in the beans, rice and grains section (preferably bulk and preferably from Whole Foods store). Finally about 10% of what we eat is found in the freezer section, frozen fruit for smoothies and Morning Star Burgers and ground meatless.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfASmGvVp0SM7vQk2aCsYsU86OBLjd9c9hgjGYxnRjRLh39EJyyMNlubImzgyOVtsPM_KpKTEh28QlX_biVru1Dkuhy8PR2SmSCT0Nvct4NXw1kcn4D74ZLz2kNopTrzsNBdNn5G-5SyrD/s1600/groceries+week+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfASmGvVp0SM7vQk2aCsYsU86OBLjd9c9hgjGYxnRjRLh39EJyyMNlubImzgyOVtsPM_KpKTEh28QlX_biVru1Dkuhy8PR2SmSCT0Nvct4NXw1kcn4D74ZLz2kNopTrzsNBdNn5G-5SyrD/s320/groceries+week+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Below is a picture of a whip-together Black Bean Soup that we had for lunch the other day. It turned out really well. Just so I can see who is reading this I will only give the recipe to you if you comment either here or on my Facebook page.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3bCd_EBfBbATu0LyIU-8GF2wkiIhiaHwV0_oUMDohF8PPDg605jhOFDc7CYzhivQFbBkfrfgxQxL2VJYLp_RRtTUAJ-sfYFZuIfrcXuWY4f0uEAIZCvVJsviH3K6QB5Jh4oDaXXRCvJwv/s1600/Bean+Soup.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3bCd_EBfBbATu0LyIU-8GF2wkiIhiaHwV0_oUMDohF8PPDg605jhOFDc7CYzhivQFbBkfrfgxQxL2VJYLp_RRtTUAJ-sfYFZuIfrcXuWY4f0uEAIZCvVJsviH3K6QB5Jh4oDaXXRCvJwv/s320/Bean+Soup.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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Carrie and I both weighed in on day eight. I was down 8 lbs and Carrie was down 4 lbs. Last week I came down with a cold and I braced myself for the usual week of misery, except that the cold was completely gone in 48 hrs. That never happens. Overall, I would say that I am beginning to feel better. I have had heart burn only once. I don't think I am snoring as much, but I should check with Carrie. I will recheck my blood work and blood pressure in early September to see how that side of it is going. </div>
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Looking forward to hearing from some of you. Encouragement, snickers, recipe requests and questions are all welcome.</div>
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Peace.</div>
Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03090314567856605067noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257291602088889038.post-66858058383905085332013-08-06T14:48:00.000-07:002013-08-06T14:48:13.151-07:00Engine 2: I Love YouWhat I really love (besides my kids) are ribs, bacon, sausage...you get the idea. It's my love affair with these foods that got me where I am now, fat, sick and tired. I am a food addict. What does that mean? It means put a slab of ribs or a plate of sausage in front of me and I will eat it until I am sick or very bloated and uncomfortable. A plate of home made chocolate chip cookies or a carton of ice cream has about as much chance of surviving the night as a six pack of beer at a biker rally. So now that I recognize that I have a problem, what do I do? Food addicts have a unique problem. Unlike other addictions, going cold turkey is not an option. It is this reality that makes dieting so likely to fail. Hunger and deprivation generally end in failure of the diet. After researching this issue I came across another way. Don't go on a diet, change your diet. Don't go hungry, eat something more nutritious. Enter the Engine 2 Diet.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0446506699/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0446506699&linkCode=as2&tag=daddygototimeout-20" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0446506699&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=daddygototimeout-20" /></a></div>
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=daddygototimeout-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0446506699" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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If you are interested, take a few minutes to visit the website <a href="http://engine2diet.com/">http://engine2diet.com/</a> or read a sample of the book by clicking on the image above.</div>
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Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03090314567856605067noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257291602088889038.post-60247946121173489102013-08-02T12:59:00.001-07:002013-08-02T12:59:51.976-07:0028 Days to a Healthy FamilyYesterday I explained that I have begun to make changes to my lifestyle that I hope will lower my blood pressure, triglycerides, cholesterol and of course my weight. Here is why:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMSQQ80_d3AyqIVBhRnRFt1A9g-fzX0lotPWSvw7L3uRQu2wDhe6QthcLrZV12BGG4HiLom1B5WJdLpompHKIbJpo0eFTOf59wrpZPhF4Sp4xuFMa52hXxJKc0waEDRbEH1I2yY4rdVweD/s1600/Wood+Kids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMSQQ80_d3AyqIVBhRnRFt1A9g-fzX0lotPWSvw7L3uRQu2wDhe6QthcLrZV12BGG4HiLom1B5WJdLpompHKIbJpo0eFTOf59wrpZPhF4Sp4xuFMa52hXxJKc0waEDRbEH1I2yY4rdVweD/s400/Wood+Kids.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I have tried many diets and the only one that worked was Quick Weight Loss, and it only worked as long as I was willing to take their expensive pills and eat grilled chicken! I think I will discuss that diet later. I don't want to be on another diet but rather I want to change my diet. There is a difference. Going on a diet is something temporary in order to lose weight. On the other hand one's diet consists of what he or she eats on a regular basis. For example, the Chinese (in general) have their diet, it consists of lots of vegetables and rice or noodles and very little meat. The Japanese have their diet and so do the Mediterraneans, Indians and we Americans. Up until yesterday my diet was aptly called the Standard American Diet or SAD, which is quite appropriate as we Americans are among the fattest people on earth. We also lead the world in heart disease and cancer, and I just love the people in that picture above too much to leave them behind. <br />
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<b>So What Is Your New Diet Called</b></div>
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Well, I'm glad you asked. For the next 28 days (and hopefully forever) I will give up foods that are nutrient poor and high in empty calories. I will give up. processed foods. I will give up foods that are high in fats, sugars and yes I am going to give up all forms of meat. I will give up, beef, chicken, pork, fish, milk, cheese and yogurt. What I will eat are nuts, grains, fruits and vegetables and other nutrient rich foods. I will give up a dozen foods but I will gain hundreds of foods that I rarely or never ate before, foods that are super nutritious, like quinoa, spelt, buckwheat, kale, watercress and hundreds of other foods. So, though you might call my diet Vegeterian or Vegan, that would not be entirely accurate. A more proper title for my new eating lifestyle would be <b>Plant Strong Nutrient Rich.</b></div>
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So there you have it. For the next 28 Days (and hopefully longer) I will eat a Plant Strong Nutrient Rich diet.</div>
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At the end of those 28 Days, I will report to you the changes to my weight, blood pressure etc. I can't weight (get it?) to see how it turns out! So join me on this journey as I will try to blog every day.</div>
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Tomorrow: Engine 2 I love You.</div>
Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03090314567856605067noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257291602088889038.post-89488016058093745072013-08-01T08:06:00.001-07:002013-08-01T08:06:06.680-07:00I'm Back and Bigger Than Ever (just ask my scale)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It's true I am back and I am bigger than ever....well almost. I am six pounds short of my all time high of 218 lbs. Oh, yeah and my family is bigger than ever too. Now there are six children running around here, and I do mean running. Just ask the two who went to bed early because they ran into the parking lot at the store. But I digress. So much running around in fact that I haven't really had the energy to chase them around and then sit down to keep up with a blog. I think Carrie and I have gained just enough traction in order for me to resume blogging.</div>
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So what to write about. Well there certainly is no shortage of comedy and drama to record around here, so there will be plenty of that. I have plenty of strong opinions (you know what they say about opinions) concerning religion, politics and of course adoption, but for the next 28 days at least I will be blogging about a major change in our lifestyle regarding our health. So let's begin with that.</div>
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<b>The Statistics (yikes)</b></div>
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<b>Weight - 212 lbs.</b> (Don't know for sure what I should weigh but I was 130 lbs. when I graduated high school)</div>
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<b>L.D.L. - 177</b> (should be under 130 and preferably under 100)</div>
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<b>Total Cholesterol - 287</b> (should be under 200 and preferably under 150)</div>
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<b>Triglycerides - 296 </b>(should be under 150)</div>
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<b>That's Pretty Bad Brian, But How Do You Feel?</b></div>
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Well I'm glad you asked. I feel like crap actually. As I have gained weight I have begun to snore again and my sleep apnea has returned. I have heartburn most nights, and it is uncomfortable for me to sit here and type because my stomach is pinched between my ribs and pelvis. My back hurts, I am stiff. I have much less energy. I want to sleep all the time. I am always hot. Being fat really sucks to be perfectly honest.</div>
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<b>Well, What Are You Going To Do About It Fatty?</b></div>
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Well I'll tell you what I'm going to do about it, over the next 28 days and beyond. You will just have to read this blog to find out. Lets just say that we are taking radical steps around here to make some permanent changes that I hope will mean better health and better quality of life for me, for Carrie, and most importantly for our six little minions. The adventure begins today, Thursday, August 1st.</div>
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Stay Posted</div>
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Peace.</div>
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Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03090314567856605067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257291602088889038.post-61744960828656235882011-11-23T16:48:00.000-08:002011-11-23T16:48:35.856-08:00Restaurants and Children: Observations, Tips and Warnings (Part 1)Carrie and I used to be frequent restaurant visitors. But due to budget cuts and the abundance of children in our party that has changed a great deal. However, on those occasions that we do eat out here are some observations, tips, and warnings from my dining with children experiences.<br />
<ol><li>Never ask your child where they want to eat. It will never be where you want to eat.</li>
<li>During the drive to the restaurant your children will complain that they are starving and that it is taking too long to get there. </li>
<li>If that restaurant happens to have a play area, those same children will eat one Chicken McNugget and three french fries and then loudly exclaim that they are no longer hungry.</li>
<li>Did you know that children have compartmentalized stomachs, and that their green bean compartment is much smaller than their ice cream compartment?</li>
<li>If I had a child's system of priorities when it comes to play vs. eat I would not be going to Quick Weight Loss.</li>
<li>Regardless of how cute you think your child is when she is walking around taking the silverware off of other people's tables, the other patrons will not share your sentiment. In fact, no matter how cute you think your children's antics are, no one anywhere will think so.</li>
<li>If the restaurant that you have chosen doesn't have a playground there will always be a patron at another table nearby who will spot your family of six and immediately frown.</li>
<li>Dear restaurant owner--what good is a playground if my children can see it as they walk in but I can't see it from my table. </li>
<li>Do not allow <strike>JoJo</strike> your child to dance on a nearby table. Society frowns on such behavior. Well, most of it anyway.</li>
<li>Dear wait staff--unless you want to clean up crumbled and ground up wax off of the floor, please don't provide my 16 month old with crayons.</li>
<li>Silverware should not equal drumsticks. See #6 above.</li>
<li>Before children I was a good tipper. With four children, I am now a GREAT tipper.</li>
<li>Why do restaurants insist on keeping high chairs with broken <strike>restraining</strike> safety straps? I will just have to leave after only ten minutes into my meal when JoJo insists that he MUST stand up. And really, those safety straps have a broken clip more than 50% of the time. Really high chair manufacturer? You can't come up with a sturdier safety clip for your high chair safety straps? If I was health inspector king I would close down any restaurant that has broken safety straps on their high chairs until they replace or repair any and or all broken straps. Oh, now I get it. You're trying to get rid of us sooner.</li>
<li>There are no high chairs in China. Nor are there any in the Chinese restaurants in Chinatown Houston, so we don't eat there anymore. I am deeply saddened by this.</li>
<li>If you really want to know how clean a restaurant is, check the high chairs, even if you don't have children.</li>
<li>Who is the idiot who invented high chairs on rollers. I know it seems like a good idea because you don't have to pick the high chair up and carry it to the table but once a child is in it it becomes a giant baby bumper car. </li>
<li>Do not let your 16 month old boys out of their high chairs. The young couple sitting nearby will not appreciate it when <strike>Manny</strike> your son plays bumper car with the gentleman's chair.</li>
<li>About #17above.......sorry sir. Of course, in a couple of years you will have a strange feeling of deja vous when your kids are doing it, too.</li>
<li>Clearly I need to see a therapist regarding my obsession with high chairs.</li>
</ol>In the end, it is rarely worth it to eat out, especially since unless we are eating at the golden arches or the place with the spotted cows it will cost in excess of $30 to eat. I will really miss you Chipotle, Chuy's and ChinaTown Houston!Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03090314567856605067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257291602088889038.post-81762549736800242022011-11-18T11:45:00.000-08:002011-11-18T11:45:21.561-08:00Sleep and Other Elusive DreamsPrior to bringing Grace home from China, Carrie did lots of parenting research. She read books and articles about raising adoptive children, attachment disorders and discipline to name a few. So when we brought Grace home we decided (based on research) to put Grace's crib in our room. After all, she had spent the first eight months of her life in a crib in a room full of more cribs. Actually we would have had her sleep between us had Carrie not been afraid that we would crush her. I guess Carrie did read a book on co-sleeping because suddenly Grace WAS sleeping between us. So much for spooning.<br />
Nearly four years later Grace is still in our bed, but I am not. How in the world did that happen? Well, let me tell you. We have tried several times to move Grace into her own room but, she has an extreme fear of the dark and an extreme fear of being alone. We made her a fairytale bed with a mosquito net (that we didn't take to DRC). We hung pretty Christmas lights in her room so that it wouldn't be too dark in there. We had Haven spend a few nights in Grace's room and told them they were mini slumber parties, only to wake up in the middle of the night as Grace was sliding into our bed. We even told her that we would move her pet Tish the Fish into the bedroom with her. Nothing has worked. Through it all Haven has been the trooper, sleeping wherever and with whoever he needs to.<br />
<br />
Haven has always been a terriffic sleeper. From day one he has slept through the night. So when we brought the littles home we figured they would follow suit. We were 50% right. JoJo has followed in Haven's foot steps and has been a terriffic sleeper from the get go. Manny on the other hand has tested my strength, patience and love.<br />
<br />
Oh Manny, Manny, Manny. We have tried everything with Manny, short of alcoholic bevereges. That boy would not sleep, and if you were lucky to get him to sleep, you had better not so much as drop a pin on the carpet or he will wake up. Manny can scream, and I'm talking about the type of scream that would cause you to take your lower lip and wrap it around your head if that would drown out the sound. And persistent, that boy's voice was built for marathons not sprints. We have tried many techniques to try to get him to sleep, including rocking him until the rocking chair broke, literally. When we decided that I would stay at home with the kids, I decided that it was only fair that I would be the one who would get up with the kids. But that was before Manny. <br />
<br />
Once we finally get Manny to sleep the battle is only half way over, because that boy will not stay asleep and when he wakes up you had better have another bottle of milk for him or you will pay. For the first six months that we were home, Manny averaged three wakeups per night. I literally had not slept for more than three hours straight in six months. That is when we made the big move to our current sleeping arrangement. Carrie and Grace in the master bedroom on MY king size bed. The sleepers, Haven and JoJo, sleeping peacefully in the boy's room and I sleep on Grace's teeny tiny bed with Manny in a pack and play next to me. <br />
<br />
This is madness.................. and we want two more?<br />
Bring it on!<br />
<br />
P.S. Manny has slept throught the night two nights in a row. I even got to sleep in my own bed...........with Grace's feet digging into my back.<br />
<br />
Oh, memories. <br />
<br />
I wonder which will happen first, Carrie and I spooning, or Grace's Master's degree. Either way I'm sure her thesis will be titled "The Lasting Negative Effects of Co-sleeping "<br />
<br />
PeaceBrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03090314567856605067noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257291602088889038.post-53240003368809913262011-11-16T20:12:00.000-08:002011-11-16T20:13:24.206-08:00An Open Letter to My Friend MargaretMargaret<br />
You have foolishly agreed to watch my children while Carrie and I go get finger printed.<br />
First, I must say "bwahahahaha"! Second, I feel that I must leave you some information so that you won't freak out.<br />
<br />
First, about the house:<br />
<br />
1. I have been really too busy to mow the lawn so the grass is a little long right now, and I know, I know, the gutters need to be cleaned out. But please come on in, people really do live inside.<br />
<br />
2. Yes, the white smeary stuff on the windows is milk. Manny and JoJo just love to finger paint.<br />
<br />
3. Yes, that is a kitchen in there.......somewhere underneath all that.........stuff. Feel free to cook something......if you dare!<br />
<br />
4. No, I didn't repair a motorcycle in the living room and no, the cast of Animal House did not have a food fight in there either. The explanation is, well, I have four children named Grace, Haven, Manny and JoJo. <br />
<br />
5. That smell you say? Well that is the smell of old dried milk, urine, a diaper or old milk bottle that has yet to be discovered (possibly under the couch), and possibly that missing cheese sandwich.<br />
<br />
6. Well yes, we do prefer to have the cushions on the couch but the children do not, so why bother to try when you are outnumbered four to one. We just enjoy having cushions on the couch AFTER the kids go to sleep.<br />
<br />
7. Yes, we do have a vacuum cleaner, but using it is much like shovelling the driveway in the middle of a blizzard. It's better to wait for the storm to go away before getting started. I just like to think of it as an 18 year blizzard.<br />
<br />
8. Nope, not a science project in the backyard. The kids like to play restaurant.<br />
<br />
P.S. I wouldn't eat there, they specialize in mud soup.<br />
<br />
9. That is a CLEAN pile of laundry, despite that fact that my snotty and poopy kids are crawling all over it. If I had time to fold and put it away I would have, so please don't judge.<br />
<br />
Now, about the kids:<br />
<br />
1. Never feed a gremlin after midnight and never let Manny or JoJo in the kitchen....you will be sorry!<br />
<br />
2. One of the three boys will get stuck somewhere or in something.....just thought you should know.<br />
<br />
3. Grace will make Haven cry by doing little more that looking at him.......it's OK.<br />
<br />
4. Manny will cry and you will want to poke your eardrums out with a skewer. They are located in the drawer left of the sink.<br />
<br />
5. Do you play guitar? The boys have formed a heavy metal band. Unfortunately, they are all drummers.<br />
<br />
6. If you fail to put the boys down for a nap it's your own fault. I warned you.<br />
<br />
And finally, don't look at the clock while you are here..........time will go by faster.<br />
<br />
Bwahahahaha!<br />
<br />
Peace<br />
<br />
BrianBrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03090314567856605067noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257291602088889038.post-18463392150967855672011-11-16T10:09:00.000-08:002011-11-16T20:08:53.184-08:00An Open Letter To My SisterSister<br />
In a moment of weakness, you agreed to be the legal guardian to my children should something happen to both me and Carrie. Pray dear sister, pray, because I know that you are afraid of germs and that you have a weak stomach. I think it is only fair to pass along a little information that I hope will prepare you for parenting my brood should the unthinkable happen. You need to be prepared my sister, you need to know, so that you will not be surprised and overwhelmed.<br />
<br />
First and foremost I suggest a rigorous course of systematic desensitization so that you will not lose your lunch when you witness or have to do the following:<br />
<br />
1. Manny and JoJo are not yet potty trained. Don't worry, they only poop in their diapers twice each day. They go through about twelve (combined) diapers total each day. Don't worry, if they are on the same pace that Haven was on, they will be potty trained in about two years. At that rate you will only have to change about 8500 diapers. <br />
2. Haven is finally potty trained, however, he has not learned yet how to complete the post poop paperwork. Alas it is inevitable that you will get some unwanted um lets say stuff on your fingers. Also, please be prepared for some particularly messy paperwork when he has diarrhea. <br />
3. Grace is potty trained and able to do her own paperwork however she is afraid of the dark so you will have to stop what you are doing to turn the light on for her.<br />
4. It is only fair to warn you that if you leave JoJo naked for more than a nanosecond, he will pee and poop on your floor. The good thing is Manny waits until he is taking a bath to poop, so count on running his bath twice. If he does poop in the tub, please clean it immediately before he and JoJo play with it.<br />
5. Please be aware that when changing JoJo's diaper that you need to keep his hands away from any poop. It tends to get under his fingernails and it's really hard to get the smell out.<br />
<br />
OK that's toileting. How is your stomach?<br />
<br />
Noses:<br />
My children are good for about one cold per child per month. Here is some advice.<br />
1. If the snot is clear that is OK. If it is green, don't use a white object to clean it, it will just turn that object green as well.<br />
2. Don't bother to wash your hands, you are going to get their cold anyway.<br />
3. If their snot is clear, don't wear dark clothing, you will look like you fell asleep in a snail aquarium.<br />
4. If their snot is green don't wear anything white (see no.1 above).<br />
<br />
Puke: <br />
1. If you know that one of the babies is sick and might puke, please don't feed them milk. Milk reacts with stomach acid to produce a very stinky version of cottage cheese. You too will puke.<br />
2. Spaghetti sauce puke is very hard to get out of the carpet.<br />
3. Do not make Grace eat anything that makes her gag when she looks at it. She is not kidding.<br />
4. If one of the children has both diarrhea and is puking, it is better to put their butt over the toilet not their face.<br />
<br />
These are just a few of the real crises that you will face should you decide to go through with guardianship of our children. Should you be having second thoughts dear sister, please call and I will give you the number of one of Carrie's sisters.<br />
<br />
Good luck and God Speed<br />
<br />
BrianBrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03090314567856605067noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257291602088889038.post-24238081456524611032011-10-31T05:41:00.000-07:002011-10-31T05:41:01.955-07:00If You Are what You Eat Then I'm A FishkenI have been going to Quick weight Loss for 10 weeks now, and I have lost 38 lbs. I feel great and I have started jogging and walking (OK mostly walking). The only thing is I am totally burned out on chicken and fish. Under dietary guidlines I can have grilled, boneless chicken breast. I can't have sauce on it such as BBQ or Teriyaki, nor can I have any spice rubs that contain salt or sugar. So for the most part I have grilled chicken breast (or fish) with Mrs. Dash. or garlic and pepper. Quite frankly, I think I am about to sprout feathers. My goal is to get down to 150 lbs. by Christmas which is exactly eight weeks from today. I have been thinking alot about food and though I will spend the following year going to QWL to manage and stabalize my weight, I will be allowed to eat pretty much anything I want.....just not so much of it. Right now though if you are what you eat, I am totally a Fishken, which made me wonder what the rest of the family are if they are what they eat.<br />
Carrie-eats lots of popcorn and cheese which I guess makes her a Cheesepop.<br />
Grace- loves Nutella as well as Ramen noodles, so I guess she's a Noodlenut.<br />
Haven- goes crazy for yogurt drinks and baked potatoes, so he must be a Yogurtato.<br />
JoJo - scarfs down bananas and grapes so I suppose he is a Grapana<br />
Manny- hmm, Manny likes everything so I guess he is a kitchen sink.<br />
So there you have it. The Wood Family, also known as the Fishkencheesepopnoodlenutyogurtatograpanakitchensinks.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03090314567856605067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257291602088889038.post-60197909348108914482011-10-12T08:48:00.000-07:002011-10-12T08:48:58.845-07:00I Know a ManI know a man who represents the Kingdom of Heaven.<br />
I can't tell you his name, or where he lives or even what he does for a living. It's too dangerous.<br />
I have met this man personally and my family has been blessed by his actions.<br />
Here is what I can tell you about him:<br />
He works three jobs, well in excess of 80 hrs. per week.<br />
He lives on a dirt road and raw sewage runs along side of it.<br />
His house is made of cement and cinder block and the roof is made of sheet metal.<br />
His windows do not have glass or until recently even screen, and there is no indoor bathroom.<br />
He doesn't have a refrigerator or microwave. Such things would be useless since there are only a few hours of electricity per week.<br />
He doesn't own a car, he rides in crowded cabs and buses everywhere he goes.<br />
He has nine children, six of whom still live in his house, and did I mention that he shares his house with another family?<br />
Despite all of this he has cared for more than 20 foster children.<br />
For the past two years he has provided a home for at least 5 foster kids at any given time.<br />
For a while last spring he had nine foster children in his house.<br />
He has spent countless hours on hot crowded buses and cabs without air conditioning, breathing astoundingly polluted air in the process of walking nearly 100 families through the adoption process.<br />
He has escorted, translated, interpreted for and protected scores of families as they visited his country.<br />
He has delivered several tons of aid to more than ten orphanages in his country.<br />
He, along with his wife, has nursed several children back to health from the brink of death.<br />
He and his family have suffered from diseases that were transmitted from the children that he has cared for.<br />
He has spent countless hours waiting outside of offices and waiting rooms on behalf of people he has never met.<br />
He has worked through the night many times and no one really knows the last time he took a day off.<br />
<br />
Despite all of the discomfort that this man experiences in life, he is willing to continually sacrifice his time, energy and resources on behalf of orphans and strangers. Unless you have met this man personally, unless you have been to his country, been to his house and met his family, you can not appreciate his personal sacrifice. Why would he do this, why would he make such sacrifices when nobody would blame him to seek comfort and diversion (beer consumption in his country is extreme). Why? Because this man is a follower of Christ. He truly understands what it means to emulate Christ. He LIVES the sermon on the mount. The reality is he is surrounded by poverty, violence, corruption and evil. Despite this he works fervently to push forward another reality, the reality of the Kingdom of Heaven. <br />
<br />
This man is my hero. This man saved Haven's life. <br />
For that I will be forever grateful.<br />
<br />
Thank You and your family<br />
L.L.O.<br />
<br />
Amen and Amen<br />
<br />
BrianBrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03090314567856605067noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257291602088889038.post-77031612015744630142011-10-07T09:35:00.000-07:002011-10-07T09:35:51.470-07:00Bits and PiecesSo yesterday marked week 8 of my attempt to lose weight through Quick Weight Loss Center. I have lost 31 lbs. I am doing this because I know that at age 48, I need to get serious about taking care of myself if I'm going to be around to raise my children. This morning I was reminded of just how old I'm getting when I hurt my back. Would you like to guess how? Below are several choices. Try to guess how I got hurt.<br />
A. Picking up lots and lots of toys off of the floor.<br />
B. Taking out the Trash<br />
C. Stooping over to clean up Skipper Puke<br />
D. Picking up one of my four children.<br />
E. Sneezing<br />
<br />
Words of Wisdom by Grace Wood:<br />
Ducks do not eat clouds. They eat bread.<br />
Ants do not drink milk. It is too yucky<br />
<br />
Right now as I write this, Manny is wearing one of Carrie's underwear around his neck like a cloth necklace.<br />
<br />
I Hate the Doorbell<br />
As I stated earlier, I am a little over weight and therefore always hot. When I am home I generally wear a pair of shorts and nothing else. The youngest two usually are in a pair of diapers and nothing else, and Grace though very skinny is also very hot natured so she usually wears only underwear around the house. See a trend here? Haven, because he is potty training usually wears a shirt and nothing else (a black sheep in every family I guess). Generally I don't mind that we are not wearing alot of clothing since I am also the one who does the laundry. That is until the doorbell rings. Then all hell breaks loose. The dog starts barking. The littles start running in circles yelling dada bobobo. Grace and Haven run to the door but can't unlock the deadbolt, so they are screaming at me as if I didn't know what just happened, and I go running for the closet for a shirt. Now of course I am tempted to not answer it but the circus inside is a dead giveaway that somebody is home. So after at least a minute I open the door to find that no one is standing there. Just a package from the Package Fairy. I hate the Package Fairy.....unless she is here to deliver something to me!<br />
<br />
Observations:<br />
Keeping the floor picked up is like using a pushbroom to keep back the ocean tide.<br />
JoJo only likes to poop in diapers that he has been wearing for five minutes or less.<br />
Manny, drinks milk like he is training for the beer chugging contest at the fraternity house.<br />
Manny and JoJo can tell when I am getting a jug of milk out of the fridge (as opposed to something else).<br />
What is it about toilet water that Manny finds to fascinating? Today he was dipping Grace's comb in it.<br />
We have what seems like a hundred movies on DVD for the kids, yet Grace and Haven can't seem to find ONE that they both want to watch.<br />
<br />
I hurt my back sneezing.<br />
<br />
Have a wonderful weekend and God bless.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03090314567856605067noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257291602088889038.post-66699966207620918952011-10-03T14:26:00.000-07:002011-10-03T14:26:57.758-07:00It Takes a Community of FaithWe all know the saying "It takes a village to raise a child". Well I would like to propose a new one, "It takes a community of faith to bring home an orphan". In our case it is taking THREE communities of faith to bring home the twin girls that we are adopting. Three communities but one faith, faith in Christ, faith that we are living a life pleasing to the one who gave us life eternal. More about these communities in a minute, but first an explanation as to why we need the help in the first place.<br />
<br />
Raising children is expensive for sure. The exact amount can vary quite a bit based on calculations that may or may not differentiate between what kids need and what kids want (I will discuss this topic in a future blog post). So yes, raising children costs some money but adopting a child costs <strong><em>A LOT </em></strong>of money and pretty much all at once. With what we have spent on the first three adoptions, we could have paid off our house, or bought three nice cars (with cash). The range varies quite a bit but I would say that the average adoption runs around $25,000. It will take a little bit less than that to bring each of our girls home because they are twins and because the country from which we are adopting is not one of the more expensive ones from which we could have adopted. With the first three adoptions we were able to spend money that we had saved, however, our savings account is pretty much empty, so in order to complete this adoption we have had to become resourceful.<br />
<br />
We are having garage sales, and auctions. We are selling T-shirts, jewelry and blankets on line. Basically we are doing anything (legal) that we can imagine to raise the money for the adoption. Quite frankly, if you have an idea for raising money, please let us know, we are open to all (again legal) ideas. With all of this we still would be struggling to complete this adoption without these three communities of faith:<br />
<br />
The L-Group (bible study group) - Carrie and I have had the God given privilege of knowing the Ls for over 10 years. The Ls and the rest of the members of this group have been so supportive to us the past three years. They have provided a place for us to have a garage sale to raise money for the two Little's that came home in April and now they have volunteered to do it again. Other members in this small group have provided items to sell as well. One member of this small group even created a part time position working for him in order to help us with our finances. I would like to think that I earned the money that he paid me but that would be highly unlikely. These families have been such an unbelievable blessing to us. They may not have been called to adopt, but they sure have answered the call to support those who were. This is the way the citizens of the Kingdom of God work together to bring the Kingdom a little closer.<br />
<br />
Trinity Vinyard Church- We only joined this church a year ago. We love this community, and in part because adoption plays such an important role in their lives. When this community found out that we were adopting, all sorts of people asked us how they could help. They have rallied around us and have shown us such love. I have never before seen such a church who truly love Christ and want to bring his Kingdom to the here and now.<br />
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Our Family in Africa- visit OFA's website at <a href="http://www.ourfamilyinafrica.org/">http://www.ourfamilyinafrica.org/</a>. We came into contact with this group when Carrie was looking for adoption agencies for our second adoption, which ended up being Haven. It turns out that OFA is not an adoption agency at all, but rather a group of awesome volunteers who work together to improve the lives of hundreds of orphaned children and along the way help a few to find their forever families. The one thing that all of these families have in common is that they have all adopted children from Africa. These wonderful folks volunteer by helping raise money, provide information and write newsletters, travel to Africa to deliver aid and of course help other families adopt children from Africa. We travelled with several of these families and we became such great friends as we congregated in the "Room of the Scabies Rug" and loved and laughed as we waited for two governments to allow us to bring our children home. What I love about this group above all else is the way they have all rallied around each other when a family is in need. So many people have offered to help us raise money for this adoption that I can't possibly attempt to list them for fear that I would forget someone.<br />
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Two years ago, I heard a sermon in which the pastor suggested that we ask God to reveal his glory to us. I prayed that prayer. I asked God to please reveal His glory to me, and you know what, He did it. I have seen His Kingdom in these people. I have seen a sample of how His Kingdom is infiltrating this world and I can't wait until the day that His Kingdom finally and forever bursts forth into the present.<br />
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Amen and Amen<br />
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BrianBrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03090314567856605067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257291602088889038.post-44422878281978871182011-09-27T18:26:00.000-07:002011-09-27T18:26:16.207-07:00Why All This Talk About Responsibility!Well, as many of you <u>probably</u> know by now, Carrie and I have decided to adopt twin girls from a third world country in sub saharan Africa. With that in mind I guess I should wrap up this whole obsession with responsibility.<br />
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Being responsible requires someone <strong><em><u>to</u></em></strong> whom you are responsible and someone <strong><em><u>for</u></em></strong> whom you are responsible. In most cases in today's world, the <u><em><strong>to</strong></em></u> usually refers<strong> <em><u>to</u></em></strong> society and the <strong><em><u>for</u></em></strong> generally refers to self.<br />
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As I explained in an earlier post, I spent the first 25 years of my existence being responsible to and for no one.<br />
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The next 16 years I finally got a clue to society's expectations and became responsible to myself and somewhat responsible for my wife. It was during that time that I became a follower of Christ and it was also during that time that I became aware of a gentle urgency to discover God's purpose for me.<br />
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On December 23, 2007, an anonymous Chinese orphanage worker handed me that purpose, my daughter Grace. From that moment on I had a new and very important reason to be responsible for someone other than myself.<br />
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Less than two years later I went to the Democratic Republic of Congo to adopt my son Haven. It was while I was there that God more fully revealed to me one of the more important things to Him. Orphans. <br />
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We have all seen the 30 minute pleas on television for orphans in Africa or in Asia. They tug on our hearts and sometimes we even consider pledging a certain amount each month. Carrie and I did that, we decided to sponsor a little girl in Colombia about eight years ago, and in fact we still continue that sponsorship. TV can never do justice to actually going to a place where there is little of anything including hope. The sights and smells, the eyes of the people, say so much more in person. Aside from the moment I became a follower of Christ, my visit to D.R. Congo was the most profoundly important moment in my life. It took me months and months to process what I experienced, especially my emotions, but when I came out the other side I had a clear understanding of my place in the Kingdom. By the way, I could do an entire blog about the Kingdom and what it is, and since I don't want to go too far off on a tangent I will just say this: the Kingdom of God is alive and well in this world. <br />
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OK, so back to responsibility. Lets wrap this up and move on. Several months after returning from D.R.Congo I began to realize that I had missed the most important point to understanding responsibility. I, or should I say we, must be responsible<strong><em><u> to</u></em></strong> God first. God has a heart for His children, ALL of them, even those who don't have parents. He is the Father to all of us, and as Christians we are His hands and His feet and that includes being surrogate parents to His children whether we gave birth to them or not.<br />
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After Haven, Carrie and I adopted Manny and JoJo. Yep, that's right we have four awasome little people living underfoot. And so here we come to one of those moments of conflict that most Christians come to when they have non-believing family and friends....drum roll please.....that's right....responsibility. If you are a true follower of Christ and you are living for Him, and you are responsible to Him first, you will come into conflict with the World. The world simply couldn't understand why we would risk our retirement and Grace's college fund in order to bring two more children into our home. Well, the answer is R-E-S-P-O-N-S-I-B-I-L-I-T-Y. We are answering God's call on our lives. I'm not saying that He calls ALL of us to adopt six children, but I am certain of it, he called Carrie and Brian Wood to it. <br />
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People wonder, I'm sure, whether or not we are crazy or worse yet, collectors. They often ask "are you done?" or "how many children are you going to adopt?" or "how will you know when to stop adopting?" Our answer to all of these questions is "as long as we have room in our hearts to love another child and resources to feed, clothe and educate them, we will continue to adopt". So you might ask, bottom line, does that mean we will stop at six or will we keep going? The answer is I don't know. What I do know, despite what others might think is we are responsible, it is the <strong><em><u>Who</u></em></strong> we are responsible<strong><em><u> to</u></em></strong> that so many people don't understand.<br />
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Below is a video by Eric Ludy that explains what I am trying to say. It moved my heart and I hope it moves your heart too. Take it away Eric<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/UWHJ6-YhSYQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03090314567856605067noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257291602088889038.post-36081534974452284782011-09-03T14:16:00.000-07:002011-09-03T14:16:08.005-07:00Irresponsibility Suits Me (part 4)Almost seven years ago I celebrated my 40th birthday. At the time my wife Carrie and I had been married for 15 yrs. and we worked together as high school theater teachers We drove to school together, we shared an office, we even co-taught some classes. A perfect job if your spouse is also your best friend. On weekends and summers we went antiquing together, ate out together, went to lots of movies and plays. We pretty much did everything together. We travelled, shopped for wine, yadda yadda, you get the gist. We were DINKs (dual income no kids) and we were very happy with our lifestyle. We bought a house in suburbia, and then added a pool and patio. I got my pilot's license and Carrie contemplated a return to school to get her MA in Theater, which was going to require that we spend three summers in Chicago. Tough decision I know. At the time our "children" were three poodles, Zeke, Jezebel and Tabitha. So yeah, we were living an American Dream sort of life, and we were happy.<br />
It was 2005, the day after school let out for the summer and I was about to brew a batch of Pale Ale in the garage when the call came. Carrie's grandmother had died. I put away my equipment and ingredients and we made preparations to drive to CA. <br />
Long drives can be a dangerous thing, especially when it's just you and your mate of 15 yrs. Thousands of miles of conversations about this and that and........"hey what do you think about adopting a girl from China?".............."Uh What?" and suddenly there we were on a lonely stretch of road contemplating the unimaginable.<br />
At the time, I was going through a period of "who am I, and what is my purpose here" introspection. Though I was happy, I couldn't help but wonder if I was living God's plan for my life. Yes I enjoyed my job teaching Theater, but I didn't have the same passion for it that my wife did. What I really liked about teaching were the long vacations and trips back and forth to Wyoming and California, and there we were on a lonely stretch of I-40 somewhere in Arizona or New Mexico having the discussion that would ultimately turn our lives, our passions and our priorities completely upside down. <br />
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Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03090314567856605067noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257291602088889038.post-67065138993916679262011-08-31T09:32:00.000-07:002011-09-03T14:14:05.236-07:00Irresponsibility Suits Me (part 3)I don't really know if everyone gets to a point in their life where they begin to wonder if they are doing life right, but it happened to me as I sat alone in a farmhouse. Carrie and I had just moved close to her job as a teacher in Littlefield, TX. We rented a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. Our closest neighbor was half a mile down a dirt road. Our second closest neighbor was over a mile away. I had attempted to find a job in Littlefield with no luck. Questions began to creep into my mind and then they began to become the central focus of my attention. What is the meaning of life,? Why am I here? What is my purpose? And, so there I was sitting in the farmhouse wondering how long this particular chapter would last. The answer was nine months. That's how long it took for me to find a job in Lubbock, TX.<br />
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Working in Lubbock was exciting. This bustling city of 200,000 people was six times larger than any place I had lived since the age of five. We moved to a house (OK shack) on a lake just outside of town. We spent lots of time money (and beer) really fixing the place up, and if I might say so myself it turned out to be a really nice place to relax. I opened a homebrew supply shop and met lots of friends who loved to brew and drink beer like me. For the next three years life was good again (by worldly definitions). Carrie was making a good living. Our house on the lake was paid for and we had little debt. I was hanging out with my friends getting paid to drink beer and pretty soon those troubling questions went away. I owned and operated Lubbock Homebere Supply for three years, and for most of that time I really had fun.<br />
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You can only push back so much against those nagging meaning of life questions. It was like something or someone was gently asking me if I was satisfied with what my life represented. The answer kept coming back. There has to be more to life than seeking continuous hedonistic enjoyment.<br />
Perhaps I think too much, or perhaps I am just like everyone else, perhaps someone has placed a void or vacuum in our heart that can only be filled with the divine. I'm not saying that everyone must eventually fill this hole, but I am saying that it must be filled in order for one to feel whole. So after many years of putting it off, I finally decided to ask Christ to come fill my hole, and He did. <br />
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I didn't become a completely different person overnight however the process had begun. I can trace it back to a bright sunny morning in April of 1996.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03090314567856605067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257291602088889038.post-71194872513654866632011-08-28T20:28:00.000-07:002011-08-28T20:28:58.980-07:00Irresponsibility Suits Me (part 2)Responsibility requires<strong><em> </em></strong>a <strong><em>cause</em></strong> and it requires <strong><em>sacrifice</em></strong>. When you are living to please yourself there is no need for responsibility. However, when someone else comes into your life and you suddenly discover that you are in love.........well that screws everything up. That is exactly what happened in April of 1987. Staying true to myself, I was playing hookie from my job, which was easy to do because I totally hated it. I didn't go to work because it was Greek Week and I wanted to go to a party. Had I been a particularly responsible individual I would have graduated the previous spring. If I had been even a little responsible, I would have been at work. Instead I was at a party meeting the person who would later become my wife. This goes to show that sometimes irresponsibility pays off.<br />
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I fell in love with Carrie almost at first sight. Not really having any experience caring for anyone else besides myself, I continued to live life pretty much the same as I always had. However, it did not take me long to realize that for the first time in my life I had acquired a <strong><em>cause</em></strong> . That cause was to (1) get Carrie to love me back and (2) keep her around as long as possible. In order to accomplish that, I had to make (gasp) <strong><em>sacrifices</em></strong>. Anyone who has been in love knows what I'm talking about.<br />
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Within two years Carrie and I were married. The following year I finally graduated with a degree in Psychology. I got a job with an adult vocational rehabilitation company. Within two years I had 14 people working for me. Suddenly, I was responsible (what happened). I got a credit card, Carrie and I bought our first car, and a house. Oh, my gosh what happened! We were real adults! No way! <br />
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I had spent the 1980s irresponsible and aimless and though fun, towards the end it left me feeling empty. That space was partially filled when I fell in love with my wife. Carrie and I really enjoyed our life together, just the two of us.<br />
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During the 1990s I slowly began to understand what <em><strong>society</strong></em> considered to be a responsible lifestyle. It goes something like this:<br />
get an education<br />
get married<br />
find a good job<br />
make a lot of money<br />
pay your taxes<br />
buy a house, a car, a boat, a membership to something, and anything else that you can afford<br />
vote (preferably Republican)<br />
start a family <br />
raise them responsibly<br />
go to church so that your kids will learn how to be good people<br />
send them to college <br />
save for retirement <br />
purchase a good life insurance policy<br />
buy a house on the lake to go with the boat <br />
retire<br />
golf and fish <br />
be a grandfather<br />
and then finally, die, making sure to leave a significant amount of money for your wife, kids and grandkids.<br />
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And there you have it, the American dream and the most responsible lifestyle imaginable.<br />
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I'm not saying that Carrie and I were on the fast track to responsibility (aka. the American Dream) detailed above, but we had plenty of time and money to do all of the things we enjoyed, and we were moving down that list.....sort of. Yet I began to sense there was something missing and it was during this period of time that I began to wonder if the chase for the American Dream was all there was to life. Was there more to life than achieving perfect responsibility? <br />
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Yep, there was something. I sensed it, another relationship perhaps?Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03090314567856605067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257291602088889038.post-57055074840778278832011-08-24T09:18:00.000-07:002011-08-25T14:40:04.449-07:00Irresponsibility Suits Me (part 1)I was raised in a Methodist family where church attendance was compulsary. My parents wanted me to be the best person that I could be and I suppose in their minds regular church attendance would facilitate their agenda. I hated church, especially in high school. Getting up for church was not my idea of a good start to the day. Getting doused with ice water was an even worse proposition, and once my mother proved that she was willing to use such a tactic to get my carcass out of bed I began to see the light. Forcing a high school kid to go to church with a glass of frozen water is no way to facilitate a relationship with the Holy. <br />
I moved off to college when I was 17. I wouldn't walk into a church for eight years. During that time my theological education was mostly influenced my experiences at the Sigma Nu house. I was an enthusiastic member of the fraternity and never missed a Friday or Saturday revival meeting. There, my brothers and I spent countless hours discussing and solving the problems of the world. Our inspiration of course was provided by the likes of such visionaries as Adolph Coors, Frederic Miller and Augustus Busch. Very rarely did our intellectual discussions ever stray into sectarian ground. Communion of grape juice and oyster crackers was replaced by Miller High Life and Allsups burritos. On Sundays I opted for the comforts of the Church of the Latter Day Mattress. During my first 5 years in college (I was there for a total of 8) I never let other resposibilities such as going to class, or part time jobs interfere with my hedonistic lifestyle. As a result my grades suffered and I rarely had money to put into the Hat of Offering as it was passed around the house. My life may have had no meaning or direction but I was having too much fun to notice, much less care. The point about all of this is to show that I was a very self centered individual and that I lived for the moment. In short, I was irresponsible. <br />
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That word, <em><strong>responsible</strong></em>, has been an unspoken theme throughout my life. My father, an airforce pilot, certainly bought into the military structure that was his life. Both of my parents were concerned about my lack of motivation My mother began pressuring me to get a part time job several months before I even reached the legal age for employment. They were constantly sharing their concern with me about my poor grades and there was no debate as to whether I was going to go to college. Simply put, my parents were insistant that I achieve all of those things that society uses to measure success. They wanted me to grow up and be a responsible adult, at which time they could say to themselves "Our work here is complete, we have raised a responsible son". Who could blame them, isn't that what all parents want? The problem is what exactly does the word responsible mean? By who's standard are we measured? How do we decide whether or not we are acting in a responsible manner? Well it didn't really matter at this point in my life because I would have been labeled irresponsible according to pretty much anyone's standards. However, the meaning and standard of the word <strong><em>responsibility</em></strong> would remain a theme up to this day.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03090314567856605067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257291602088889038.post-56235538515084417992011-08-23T11:51:00.000-07:002011-08-28T18:16:20.334-07:00Why this BlogAbout twenty years ago I spent six weeks as a car salesman. I had just abandoned the masters degree in counselling that I was working on and really needed a job. I convinced the dealer that I could sell cars, so he hired me. Clearly, I was mistaken. I didn't realize it at the time but I wasn't succsesful nor would I ever be due to the fact that I didn't believe in the product or the process. Instead, I just quit and decided that I wasn't a salesman. Twenty years later I have come to realize that I do have a product that I believe in so very much that I want to share it and for free. The product is Fatherhood. and not just fatherhood but Adoptive Fatherhood. With that in mind the goal of this blog is twofold, first to inform and secondly to persuade. <br />
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There are hundreds of websites that you can go to for information about adoption, and I will certainly provide links to several of those sites over the weeks and months to follow. Some of those sites will tell you about the 65 million and counting orphans living (sometimes dying) around the world. You can learn about the events that cause so much suffering in these children, such as wars, disease, famine etc. You can learn about domestic adoption, foreign adoption, foster care, and adoption agencies etc. However, with this blog my goal is to create a window into which you can view my experience as the father of four (and counting) adoptive children. I'm not doing this because I think we are the most interesting or entertaining family, but rather I want to share with you the joy that is Adoptive Fatherhood.<br />
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I'm going to be up front with you the reader and say that once I have informed you about adoptive parenting I hope to convince you to get more involved in the lives of orphaned children. I hope that you will be moved to support an orphanage or a ministry that works with orphans. Perhaps you know or will meet a family who can use your moral or financial support as they raise their adoptive children. But my biggest hope for this blog is that at least one family will read it and take the plunge into adoption. My wife and I have taken the road less travelled and we have been blessed beyond our wildest dreams. I think that's what happens when you trust in Christ and step out of the boat.<br />
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BrianBrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03090314567856605067noreply@blogger.com0