Photo Hunt (Hard To Find)

This photo hunt theme is Hard to find. Confession time...I was wondering how I was going to do holiday gifts or a better way of putting it “I'm disappointed that I can't pull off Christmas like I planned.

As you know unemployment is quite high in United States as Murphy works in tree nursery and it seasonal job and it been ruff side in tree business.

He been drawing unemployment which is fine and most year he doesn't draw it all out before he goes back to work

He's drawing his unemployment from 2008 claim and still have about 4000 left in claim and he thought we had clear sailing to first of year which he could open anther claim. But he got a letter from Idaho department of labor and saying his last check will be December 4^th

So for the entire month of December we will be on my check. I make enough to cover the base bill we live a frugal life style. No cell phone bill, cable , satellite, newspaper, net flex, we're still on dial up and that $10 a month. Actual we have 4 bills a month which is Northern light the once that keep lights on, Cabinet Mountain Water which is our water bill that a $40 a month, Avista which is natural gas and we been heating with wood and that bill is under $25 a month, and phone bill which a land line and that under $20 a month. Like everyone else we have insurances, taxes and maintaining a home

Our monthly bills come to about $200 a month.

So maybe it isn't going to be such a hard Christmas. No we can't get the boys the digital camera like I would like to.

But I get the wrapping and bags after Christmas and picked them up at yard sale. Statement time...even use wrapping from packages. I don't iron wrapping paper!!!!

Then when it comes to Christmas cards I had plenty left over and there where different place I got free ones.

My son Bart is in strange size when it comes to jeans he wares a 31 inch waist and it seem easier to find jeans in even sizes

So this year it looks like each of the boys I will be spending about $120 each. Now for the outside gifts I'll have a calendar made up for the family holiday white elephant gift exchange and everyone else is getting books and most of them I bought used and in excellent shape.

So it sure don't look like Christmas is Hard To Find.

http://tnchick.com/ 

I'm leaning more to a raw food style when it come to eating. No, I'm not going a 100% raw...no way at this time or any time in the near future I would eat a raw chicken that isn't cooked well done.

But I made a smoothie which I call ABC smoothie but it had texture of a pudding.

I use Mountain High Yogurt and turn it in a greek like yogurt. I notice greek yogurt is about 50% higher then non greek yogurt

Place a coffee filter in bottom of kitchen sieve and place a bowl under the sieve. Dump the yogurt under into the sieve on the top of the coffee filter.

Place in fridge and let drain. I usual let it drain overnight.

Note..If you don't have coffee filters paper towel will work but I prefer coffee filters

The whey will be in the bowl under the sieve go head and drink this it actual good for you. Then place what is now greek yogurt in a bowl with a lid for future eating and use.

Now for the ABC Smoothie

Place about one cup of greek yogurt in blender.

Place 2 to 4 apricots in the blender. Please take out the pit. Confession time...I didn't have any fresh apricots so I had use some from home can

Place a full Banana in blender Statement..Don't forget to take off the skins

Place a fourth to half cup fresh cranberries

Those who don't mind something with a little bite to it one could not use the yogurt.

Those who feels like they want to tame ABC smoothie may want to add an extra banana

. Statement I try to avoid can cranberries all I have seen in cans have high fructose corn syrup in them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-fructose_corn_syrup

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-fructose-corn-syrup/AN01588

http://www.emaxhealth.com/1275/fructose-not-so-sweet-blood-pressure-kidneys

Now for the caffeine intake. Well I'm almost finish with caffeine intake ending at 2:30 in the afternoon. Confession time....It wouldn't be fair if I went “cold Turkey” to anyone around me. So on Monday the 6^th my caffeine bar will be closing at 2:00 in the afternoon.

If any of you are wondering what I'm trying to eat and have more healthy life style and not be coming some kind of a snob.

There two giveway over at blog world that I know of one is at Peas-chocolate-giveaway and also Diane ramblings-merry-christmas-give-way

http://peascorner.blogspot.com/2010/12/peas-chocolate-giveaway-2010.html

http://diadsie.wordpress.com/2010/12/02/merry-christmas-giveaway/

If anyone wondering why I'm not using the html doing my blog. One day it wouldn't come up and I went over to compose and now it won't let me get back to html