Heart of God Fellowship in Owego, NY

 

Heart of God ~ Owego, NY

In 2006, I started going to the Heart of God church in Owego, NY. It was a very long drive. About fifty miles or so one way and could not keep up with going. This little church with a tiny congregation was powerful. At least in my life it was. Even though I had been baptized as an infant in the Catholic Church I had never attended one.......well once. I went with a family of friends to the one in Norwich, NY. The first thing that happened after mass was the priest welcomed me. Then a woman who must have worked for the church came right over to me to tell my where I had to go for Catholic instructions and then how much I had to pay for going to church there. Wanting to know my household income, not my income but "household" income. Even though my husband was not coming to the church. I was out of there. Never wanted to go back to a Catholic Church after that experience.

The reason I went to church in Owego at The Heart of God was because I met Pastor Joy in my mother-in-law's hospital room. I felt her energy when she walked into the waiting room! It was a feeling I had never had in my whole life. Not long after meeting her, I convinced my husband to take me to her church on Easter. I will never forget that day! It was one of my happiest days. The welcome that we received as soon as we sat down was amazing! 

I thought we had become good friends with the people there and Pastor Joy and her husband, Arden. Along with other issues, including the long drive to the church every Sunday, I had to stop going there. It was a sad time for me. The people there were having conflicts with each other at the time and it was just not good to attend any longer. After that I did not go to any other church. Nobody could measure up to Pastor Joy and when I did hear someone else preaching, including on the internet, something was missing.

Pastor Joy's Sermon

August 14, 2022

Since I watch YouTube, it wasn't long before I started following Pastor Joy's moving sermons on her channel there. It is helping me at this point in my life. I feel so much conflict around me lately. It always goes back to that problem of other people always thinking they are right about everything. Even though if you look at their life it doesn't seem to be so. I just keep my thoughts to myself as I used to. I have always done that and probably always will.  If you watch these videos, there is a part 2 on each of them. They are worth watching and subscribe to her channel if you can.

Pastor Joy 2011

You get to a certain time in your life and you do not want conflicts in your life any more. So I just make small talk with others. Not about me and what I think or feel. I write those thoughts for myself in my journal. Life should not be about defending your choices or beliefs. I do something I learned when I went to Al-Anon some years back when I was married to an alcoholic. It is called "distancing yourself". I do it all the time. It works. Then whatever they do and how it affects their own life is their choice. Not trying to change anyone's mind to believe what I believe or do. Though I keep in mind that you should surround yourself with 'like minded people". Unfortunately, I have not met any in person. 

Copyright © 2022 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2022  Kathleen G. Lupole

Caring For Yourself As You Get Older

One of the things I did a number of years back, when I lived on my homestead was to make a list of all the things I hated about my life. I was miserable. I thought life would just get worse and worse as time went on. I would try to picture what I would be doing ten years from then. It was not a pretty picture. Making a change in your life is never easy but if you want to change anything, you need to recognize that you matter. Yes, you do! You need to put others aside and do what you can for yourself. I always say that self-care is not selfish. It is essential! 

I recognize that there are a lot of people who are living alone now. Especially in the older population. So you would think they would have more time in practicing self-care. In fact, they may have the time but they don't do it. For no other reason then they don't have the incentive to do it. Some people have spent their whole lives caring for other people and putting themselves last. Now when they can really spend the time and maybe money on themselves they don't. There are many people who don't practice self-care because they don't feel worthy enough for it. Negativity gets you nowhere fast! 

Self-care is different in your sixties and seventies. Not anywhere near the way I practiced self-care in my twenties and thirties. Back then I was a stay at home mother and had the time (and due to my situation, the money too) to care for myself. From 1988 to 2018, my life was not my own even though I did not have a child at home anymore. Working at various jobs every day and taking care of a home and trying to make my marriages work took up all my time. 

In my twenties, self-care was all about beauty and my looks. Reading all the latest fashion magazines and doing all the latest trends. When I think back to those times I marvel at how into those beauty routines and products I was. In my sixties and now seventies, I find myself more into healthy self-care practices than ever before. What is important to me now? What will be important to me ten years from now? Not beauty that is for sure. It is definitely my health and my happiness. My ability to stay independent is very important to me. Health and happiness is the key to that independence. Unhappy people are not usually healthy. I am sure there are exceptions. 

In my own experiences, after years of not being able to practice any self-care due to my living situation, I am eagerly addressing it now. These are the things I do now:

1. I take daily minerals and vitamins, extra magnesium and electrolytes twice a day. 

2. I drink water. 

3. Do not eat any sugar, grains, fruits, starchy vegetables or seed oils. 

4. Make sure to eat plenty of protein and healthy fats.

5. Have my hair trimmed, styled and colored regularly (it makes me happy) at my salon.

6. Walk daily for exercise if possible outside.

7. Wear compression stockings (for Lymphedema).

8. Do dry brushing and use Magnesium oil before my shower. 

9. Keep my skin moisturized (important for Lymphedema).

10. Deep breathing (important for Lymphedema).

11. Dental care

12. Vision care

13. Maintain a safe and clean environment.

14. Socialize. Yes, friends are good for you even if it is just a few. 

15. Keep my mind active. I find the computer does this for me. I have many activities on my computer that are not social media that I do almost daily.

16. Family. Connect with family members and stay in contact if possible. 

If you find you need help in doing your self-care there are ways to get help. Call your local office of the aging and tell them what you need. They are there to help and most importantly, they want to keep you in your home. I know people will say they don't want to ask for help because they are afraid they will be taken out of their home. That has not been the case where I live. Instead they send help in some form or other. But you must tell them what problems you are experiencing so they can help.

Copyright © 2022 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2022  Kathleen G. Lupole

A Presto Stuffler for Easy and Quick Keto Meals

 

Presto Stuffler

Recently I bought another new appliance. Yes, I know I told myself I was not buying any new appliances anymore but this one is different. I promise it is! If you are following the keto lifestyle you cook a lot. Cooking most of your food from scratch just like I did as a modern homesteader. I think I found my niche in the cooking world! I do not care to go out to eat anymore because my own meals are usually much better. Most important though is that I know what is in them! If I use a questionable ingredient at least I know how much is in it and where I bought it. 

Open to add batter

The Presto Stuffler is not cheap! I think I paid $50.00 for it on Amazon. I thought about it for a long time before purchasing it. Now I am happy that I did. Using various batter recipes that I find on YouTube and in the keto groups I have been able to come up with some good meals. I didn't really miss bread but I wanted to make some old favorites that needed something to go on or in it. Like a tuna melt or a grilled cheese sandwich. So what I am planning on doing is to change the many varieties of grilled cheese sandwiches from the bread to the stufflers. Actually it opens up so many possibilities of new keto meals that are quick and easy! Can you tell I am excited about this?

Bottom layer of batter

The first thing you do is to prepare whatever stuffing you plan to use. Then heat the Stuffler up while you mix up your batter. If you want a dessert type of Stuffler you will want a sweet batter recipe. This post is slanted toward the keto foods but the Stuffler can be used for whatever food plan you follow. Once it is hot pour one third cup of the batter onto the hot stuffler. I let it set for a second or two. Next I add the toppings. I make sure to get it all over the bottom layer. All the way to the edge. You want to bite into that topping with every bite you take. 

Stuffing of taco meat in the center

In the photo above I made a taco type of ground beef with some Rotel tomatoes and dehydrated peppers and onion. I forgot to add cheese which I think would have made it even better. I tried it as a sweet stuffler using a different batter and cream cheese with sugar-free strawberry jam and syrup. It was good but I don't eat sweets like that very often. I reserve my sweets for Keto Chow ice cream now. Yesterday I made 2 Krazy Ketos' corn dog recipe which has a sliced hot dog and cheese inside. It was very good!

Top layer of batter covers the stuffing

Then I added the top layer of batter. Using about one third cup and spread with a spoon to make sure it covers all the stuffing. Be careful not to overfill it because it will ooze out when it is cooking and make a mess for you to clean up. Once you close the lid quickly grab the handle and flip it over to the other direction. Let it cook for about 11 minutes or whatever your recipe tells you. It will be steaming but that is because it is cooking. As soon as it is done, holding onto the handle flip it over again to the original direction. I usually wait a minute before opening it.

All done after 11 minutes

Mine came out a bit lopsided but I am new to the Stuffler world right now. You should be able to lift it right out with the red handle holder but I haven't been able to do that yet. My batter is softer but that is fine with me. Next time I will either add more stuffing or cheese slices on top of the stuffing. Adding some cheese on the top of the top layer may add some crunch to it. I will have to try that.

Corn Dog with cheese!

Besides being easy to use and clean I like this new appliance for the variety of new meals I can make for myself. I only have to prepare meals for myself so it was a worthwhile purchase for me. If you are making meals for a family or a number of other people it may not be a good thing for you. By the way, this is not a paid review since I do not do those on my site any longer. This is my true opinion of this appliance. I bought it and I use it and I like it very much. 

Bon Appetit!

Copyright © 2022 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2022  Kathleen G. Lupole

Keto Chow Ice Cream in the Ninja Creami

 

The Ninja Creami has definitely changed my life! I had bought a Cuisinart ice cream maker last year. Not even a year ago. It worked good and I probably would have been satisfied with that one if I didn't want to be making ice cream almost daily. Since giving up eating sugar and high carbs ice cream was the one thing I missed the most. Living so close to the store I would buy two packages at a time and sometimes that was all I ate for the day! Something had to change. I know I can't do the sugar, not to mention all the other ingredients in a carton of ice cream. Low carb or keto ice cream is sky high in price and a serving is half a cup. Half a cup??? Who in their right mind eats half a cup of ice cream????

Enter Keto Chow! A low-carb meal replacement shake that supplies you with protein, fiber, essential vitamins and minerals for a third of your daily requirements. Not only is it good for you, but it tastes good too! I have been using it almost daily since last fall. Usually as a shake or pudding which is how many people use it. As good as it was, it was even better as ice cream. 

Ice cream frozen to inside bowl ~ Cuisinart

I saw many people in the various keto groups and sites I go to raving about the Ninja Creami ice cream maker. It couldn't be that good could it? I was not making ice cream very often with the Cuisinart ice cream maker. I had to wait hours for it to soften up in the ice cream maker bowl to get the rest of it out. I did not like trying to scrape every drop of ice cream off the sides.  I already own a Ninja coffee maker and it is the best I have ever had. So I took the plunge and bought the Ninja Creami. 

After hearing about how loud it is I started worrying about using it in my apartment with other tenants next to me and across the hall. I worried my house bunny, Rabbit would die of fright. Some people said it sounded like a jet taking off! I finally took a chance. Yes, it is super loud but not as loud as a chainsaw or an electric drill. I think my vacuum food saver and vacuum cleaner are louder. Neither one bothers my bunny. I turned it on and watched him. He was listening and on alert (I could tell by his ears) but did not run or get scared. I then went out into the hall and it was not loud out there at all. I didn't want my neighbors complaining because I planned on using it every day.

It is loud because it is working hard churning its way through the frozen keto chow. I usually hit re-spin twice and it comes out exactly the way I like it. You can add various extra ingredients on the mix-in option. Such as heavy cream, chocolate chips, nuts, cookies, fruit, candy, etc. Sometimes I add some heavy cream or DaVinci's sugar-free syrup. 

The Ninja Creami can be used with any ice cream recipe you want to use. It is not for sugar-free, low carb or keto foods only. You can use any brand of shake or even use ice cream to make a milkshake. Fruit can be used for sorbet. So what this machine is capable of is much more than I have even explored. Right now it is supplying me with sugar-free ice cream that is healthy and tastes good. Keto Chow has many flavors so I have a large variety of ice cream available to me. In this hot weather having a constant supply of healthy ice cream is a good idea!

Copyright © 2022 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2022  Kathleen G. Lupole

Be Happy Right Now

I have been a participant in a book discussion on 2 Krazy Ketos' YouTube channel recently. The book is called Atomic Habits written by James Clear. It uses the same concept that I have written about many times on this blog as well as my old blogs. That concept is what I have always called "little steps" and some of my readers may remember I had a blog with that title. The Japanese have long used this idea in their business practices under the name of kaizen, which means small improvements. Implementing one small change in your daily practices leads to other changes, one change at a time. Or one step at a time. 

It is easier to make that first small step toward the big change you hope to eventually do. Just depends on you actually doing it. It can be something simple such as making your bed every morning right after you get up. Or taking a walk around your block or down your road. Then extending it a little further every time or doing another small chore right after making your bed. As soon as you are accomplishing the one new habit automatically every day it is time to begin the next one. 

I have been doing this for a long time now. Many changes in my life have taken place and I owe it to this method. One thing that I lived with for a long time was a cluttered environment. Mainly because there was no storage available for simple every day things in my home. So when I moved from a house to a small studio apartment I was aware of what I had to eliminate to make room. Storage space is very limited here so I make choices in what I will keep and what I will not. It has been ongoing since I am still working on it. Progress has been made though and I have no clutter in my apartment.

Routines help. As soon as I walk in my door, I hang my coat or jacket up in the closet that is right next to the entrance. I put my keys in a small cloth bag that hangs on that closet's doorknob. I take my shoes off and put them on the bottom shelf of the bookcase opposite the closet. I take my wallet and phone out of my purse and hang the purse inside the closet. Then put my wallet away in a drawer. All done and put away. Not laying around in the way or to become misplaced. I never have to search for my keys. I did not start doing these things all on the same day. I started with the keys and continued until it was my habit.

 

One thing I had learned long ago from my first husband was when you have items you do not use or like get rid of them. Don't keep them around taking up space. My parents always had one room in their houses for junk or what I considered junk. Eventually it fell on me to clean out their home and garage when my father passed away in 2012. It was a horrible job and I would not wish that on anyone. Don't be a saver. Saving things for another time or in case you might need it. So what if you have to replace it later on?

My parents were very frugal people. Yet they paid movers to move us from NY to FL and then back again after a number of years. Did they get rid of that junk? Nope. Paid to move it. Then I had to put that same stuff in a dumpster which was not cheap. I think I had to get three dumpsters while cleaning out their home. Nothing was able to be sold. I am thankful I did not inherit this trait from them. I did not. I like wide open spaces when possible. 

One of the most important things I would like to stress is to not wait for your goal to be happy and enjoy your life. Do it now! If you avoid getting together with family members or friends because you need to lose weight, just do it anyway. Something might happen to them or you and you will have missed that chance. Get in those family photos now! Take that trip you always wanted to do. Do not put off those things you want to do until you lose your weight or get that job or get a new car or move into a better house. They want to spend time with you now regardless of those things. 

To think the little change or step you make today will change your life for the better later is hard to believe. It will. If you stick to it you can make it happen. 

Copyright © 2022 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2022  Kathleen G. Lupole

Homemade Instant Pot Yogurt

 

I love yogurt! It has not been a part of the Ketogenic food plan but a recipe I found at 2krazyketos has changed that. Not only that, but the recipe is made in your Instant Pot! Perfect for me since I love making recipes in the Instant Pot. This recipe is easy to follow and has made yogurt a part of my daily food plan. My regular readers know how much I love making my own food instead of buying processed. I do the best I can. Finding recipes like this are a big help. Especially if they are good and easy! 

Using a milk that is lower in carbs than others is a must if you want your yogurt to have low carbs. I found this brand at Walmart which is the same brand used in the video for this recipe. It looks like Walmart always carries it. I used a whole quart of milk, a pint of heavy cream and a couple of tablespoons of organic yogurt that had the live cultures in it. 

Whisk it together to make sure it blends together. Put it all in your Instant Pot and you have a batch of yogurt in the making. The recipe at 2 Krazy Ketos has instructions for making this yogurt without the Instant Pot also. 

Put the top on and press the yogurt button. That was all I had to do. Then wait for 8-9 hours. Check it to see if it the thickness you like. I was making mine into Greek yogurt so I wanted it thick.

When it is was done to the thickness I wanted I poured it into a yogurt separator that I bought on Amazon. You can pour it into any kind of strainer you have. Or use nut milk bags or cheesecloth. You would need to tie it off to make a ball of yogurt and have a bowl or something to allow it to drip the whey in. I refrigerated mine though you can leave it on a counter and it would be safe. 

After four to five hours the whey had drained out of the yogurt and I took it out of the refrigerator. I scraped it out of the strainer. If you have one of these strainers, I recommend immediately putting it in the sink and using a sink sprayer to remove the yogurt on the screen. It made the job of cleaning it so much easier! 

Whey 

I measured the whey to be able to figure out the nutrition for this batch of yogurt. The directions to do that is on the recipe notes at 2 Krazy Ketos' website. The recipe is Keto Instant Pot Yogurt and it is helpful to watch their video as well. If you would like it to be low fat then check this one out, Low Fat Keto Yogurt.

As you can see in my photo, the yogurt came out really thick which is what I wanted. I use it in recipes or as a substitute for cream cheese or sour cream, as well as eating it as part of a meal. That comes in handy since the shortage of Philadelphia cream cheese this past year.

Using my electric beater I whipped it up for about two minutes to get it smooth. The video said if wanted it not as thick to add a small amount of the whey back into it. I did not do that since I wanted it thick.

I filled the small containers with a half cup to one cup of the finished Greek yogurt and put the tops on. Just be sure when you are going to make it again to save a couple tablespoons of this batch to make your next one. My total carb count on this batch was 1 carb. I did not figure out the cost of making the yogurt but I know it was a lot less than buying Greek yogurt already made. It was very good so be sure to try it!

Copyright © 2022 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2022  Kathleen G. Lupole