Month: March 2023

Eating Mushrooms for Gut Health

Posted on by Great Adventure Homestead

Pexels - mushrooms-brown-mushrooms-cook-eat

A recent stay in the local hospital has me rethinking my eating habits!

True, I have been eating healthier lately, however, I’ve come to realize I need to reconsider some of my food choices when it comes to my gut health!

I’ve learned that eating mushrooms helps to reduce systemic inflammation.

See, our gut biomes – all the trillions of live bacteria in our gut – assimilate nutrients, and such, including the vitamins from our food. However, those biomes lose their ability to operate properly when our gastrointestinal tract is inflamed!

This inflammation affects our bodies in a number of different ways.

For example, our muscles become inflamed when we exercise… our joints and soft cartilage experience inflammation from degenerative bone diseases…

Likewise – as I’ve recently found out the hard way – my gastrointestinal system becomes inflamed when I eat refined, processed sugars and starches… especially from high fatty fried foods!

This inflammation is the primary cause of illness and health disorders in our bodies!

However, making wise choices can change my health for the better!

Simply adding mushrooms not only gives my recipes a distinct and flavorful experience, they also support my immune system, allowing me to feel fit and strong!

So, reconsidering some of my food choices has become a must for me!

I can add mushrooms to my pasta, giving it a rich and bold taste that is amazing!

What is more, I can add mushrooms to my spaghetti sauce… my stir-fry… and my soups…

I can also pair them with onions and sauté to top a steak or potato… I can add even them to scrambled eggs…

However, the best way to preserve their nutritional value is to grill them!

I’ve also found it an added bonus to keep a can of freeze-dried mushrooms in my pantry. This way I can reduce the waste of throwing out mushrooms that have become slimy! How cool is that!

Until next time,

Peace, love and safe travels!

~ Sheri

(P.S. Thank you for using my affiliate links. I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you! Both mom and I appreciate your support! ❤)

No More Crying Over Chopped Onions

Posted on by Great Adventure Homestead

Pexels - Chopped Onions

In a perfect world, chopping onions would never be necessary! They’d simply be available in our pantry any time, day or night, ready to be scattered into any of our favorite recipes!

But then again, we don’t live in a perfect world!

So, when I need to add onions into my recipe, I deal with the chopping of the onions, and the tears that come with it!

Or do I ?!?

I have discovered a well kept secret that allows me to add onions to my recipes, and yet allows me to avoid the crying!

By choice, I have learned to keep a can of freeze-dried onions in my pantry at the ready! I simply order them here, and they arrive wherever my little homestead on wheels is currently parked – and they come already diced or in slices, whichever I prefer!

Although between you and me, I order the sliced onions rather than chopped. This way they are ready to be sautéed in butter for when I am hungry for a cheesesteak sandwich. And I can simply chop the slices up when a recipe calls for chopped onions and still avoid the tears!

Adding onions is a great way to boost any homecooked meal with flavor, and I get the added benefits of vitamin C and dietary fiber!

I simply toss them into my favorite soups… or scatter them into my omelets… mix them into a casserole… create a spicy salsa… or sauté them to top a burger…

I for one enjoy being able to incorporate them into whatever recipe calls for onions! No longer am I chained to the cutting board, and the tears that come with chopping onions!

Oh, and if you have a finicky eater in your home, simply powder them in a blender and even your most discriminating palates will never be the wiser!

So, here’s to adding onions to many of your favorite dishes without all the waterworks!

Until next time,

Peace, love and safe travels!

~ Sheri

(P.S. Thank you for using my affiliate links. I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you! Both mom and I appreciate your support! ❤)

Can I Be Content?

Posted on by Great Adventure Homestead

Canva - Contentment - Water

Contentment is not a God-given gift. It needs to be learned… but oh, how I struggle with this lesson!

I’ve shared before, that we are looking for a more traditional homestead… however, finding said homestead has been challenging!

What’s my biggest challenge? Being content where I am!

But how do I remain content when I long for a traditional homestead? How do I remain content when I long to get my hands in the soil and grow my own food? And how do I remain content when I see others raising chickens, but feel stuck living in a 22-foot RV on someone elses land?

Learning to be content with my surroundings has its challenges too! We are currently in the middle of nowhere! The closest real town is a half hours drive! The small hamlet that’s a smidge closer, boasts two burger joints and two small grocery stores that if they merged, might create one good store… but I digress!

Add to that the challenges of taking care of an aging mother…

Although I am happy to be here for her, I find myself struggling to apply myself to my business! The flexibility I have is great, but I don’t want to be so flexible, I flex myself right out of business!

Yet this morning, during my quiet time, I was reminded that God promises to supply all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus… and, that I can also do all things through Him who strengthens me!

Yes, I struggle… but deep down I know that He has given me everything I need for this moment in time.

So naturally, once I forgive myself for not putting forth as much effort as I know I should, and learn to discover what is good about the area I find myself living, I can learn to be content no matter what state I am in!

Until next time,

Peace, love and safe travels!

~ Sheri

(P.S. Thank you for using my affiliate links. I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you! Both mom and I appreciate your support! ❤)

Creativity – Expressing Yourself

Posted on by Great Adventure Homestead

Canva - Creativity is Within

Each of us has the potential for creativity!

How we express ourselves can surface in a number of ways.

Perhaps you have the ability to solve tricky situations…. or maybe you have the uncanny ability to come up with brilliant ideas… or quite possibly you have the ability to stretch a budget when things are tight financially.

On the other hand, perhaps you lean more towards the artistic side of creativity. You might design beautiful pieces of jewelry… or perhaps you enjoy painting and hope to be the next Picasso or Van Gogh…

Or maybe your creativity is focused in the kitchen…You might enjoy cooking and can adapt recipes, giving them your own unique flair and flavor!

No matter how we express ourselves, our creativity enhances our lives by giving us pleasure and delight!

Nevertheless, creativity is not necessarily about being original. Instead, it’s a determination to bring about change!

If we desire to be creative, we must look within ourselves for God-given gifts and abilities… and draw inspiration from our circumstances…

Being creative demands our focus… our commitment… and our discipline!

Even failure can be a useful tool because it can be a stepping stone to something better! We may even make new discoveries about ourselves and what we are able to do and create – which can be a bridge to a multitude of new possibilities!

Until next time,

Peace, love and safe travels!

~ Sheri

(P.S. Thank you for using my affiliate links. I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you! Both mom and I appreciate your support! ❤)