# All Good Recipes Start With An Experiment: Healthy Chocolate Treats I have been experimenting with making healthy chocolate treats for the past two years. My husband, Doug, and I strive to live a healthier lifestyle in our retirement years. The great thing about this recipe is that you can adapt it to use your favorite nuts, seeds, dried fruits, and fresh fruit. Adapting the Recipe If you decide to use fresh fruit, limit it to 1/4 cup or less. This is because the treat may crumble due to excessive moisture. You can also add honey or maple syrup, but keep in mind that these ingredients will also add moisture. This could lead to the possibility of the treat crumbling while you eat it. I add fruit when I am making it for myself. If I make it for guests, I omit fresh fruit due to the crumbling. For a variety, you may want to try my previous chocolate treat recipe. Add More Protein, Omit The Sugar! Over the years, I have changed the recipe significantly. Now, I want to share the easiest and healthiest version with no sugar added. You will never miss the sugar when you use these ingredients. It's hard to convince others that there is no sugar in it due to the great chocolate, peanut butter, and sweetness from the dried and fresh fruit. These treats are not only healthier than my previous versions; they are also packed with more protein. They taste so much better without excessive crumbling while eating them. If you do experience crumbling, simply omit the frozen blueberries. I love the flavor and antioxidants provided by blueberries, so I am fine with a little crumble. Protein Packed Chocolate Treats Ingredients 1 cup Lily's Dark Chocolate 55% Cocoa 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil + 1 teaspoon for roasting nuts 1/2 cup chopped almonds 1/4 cup chopped pecans 1/4 cup chopped pistachios 1/4 cup Craisins 1/4 cup pitted dried chopped dates 2 tablespoons Jif Natural Crunch Peanut Butter 2 tablespoons PB2 Peanut Butter Powder Optional: 1 tablespoon Vital Protein Powder for extra protein Optional: 1/4 cup fresh blueberries or chopped strawberries (Note: Eat over a plate if you add fruit because it will crumble with fresh fruit, but it is so delicious!) Directions Melt 1 cup of Lily's Dark Chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a microwave-safe glass measuring cup for 30 seconds. Mix until thoroughly melted. Do not microwave any longer, or the chocolate will clump together. Soak chopped dried dates and Craisins in water. Roast chopped pecans, almonds, and pistachios in 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil over low to medium heat in a skillet for 5-10 minutes until you smell a nutty aroma. Remove the nuts from the stove and stir in the peanut butter, peanut butter powder, and optional Vital Protein Powder. Drain the water from the dried fruit and mix it with the nut mixture. Add 1/4 cup of frozen blueberries. Combine the nut mixture and fruit mixture together. Drop 1 teaspoon of melted chocolate into a silicone mini muffin pan. Add 1 tablespoon of the nut/fruit mixture and top with more melted chocolate. Place the mini muffin pan in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours to allow it to harden. 10. Remove from the muffin pan and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a quick snack or simple dessert with meals. Enjoy Dessert Again! If you have been avoiding dessert to lose a few pounds, this is a great treat for the end of a meal when you want something sweet! Quick Pick Me Up Between Meals This healthy chocolate treat is a fantastic pick-me-up between meals. When you need just a little something to carry you to your next meal, these treats are perfect. With the added protein, your blood sugar will be stabilized, and you will not suffer the ups and downs of sugar. Build Good Health and Strong Bones Prevent osteoporosis and keep your body strong and healthy by eating natural foods. These foods contain vitamins, minerals, and protein. Instead of reaching for sugar and salt-packed processed foods or so-called protein bars loaded with unpronounceable ingredients, choose healthier options. I believe that most of those ingredients remain stored in your body as fat because our bodies cannot process them effectively. Additionally, processed foods can harm your digestive system as it works hard to break down unnatural ingredients. If you try this recipe, please leave a review. We would love to know if you enjoyed it! Even better, is this a recipe that may help you achieve your healthy goals? Please follow along at www.lovingpetite.com for more recipes, petite fashions, and vacation rentals. Amazon affiliate- commission earned. Visit My Amazon Storefront.

A great fish sandwich just hits the spot! Even better, a fish sandwich on warm, homemade buns with mango salsa is hard to beat! I like to serve it during the summer when fresh corn is available! This dish can be made with fried crispy fish using talapia, catfish, or most any kind of fish fillets. For blackened fish sliders, I prefer to use grouper or snapper. Mango Salsa/slaw First, make your salsa, preferably the night before, so it has time to marinate. I love this Fresh Mango Slaw by (Cookie & Kate!) I like to add some chopped toasted almonds for a little crunch. The first time I made it, I served it to guests for breakfast and later, I served it with fried green tomatoes and crab cake appetizers. It was very good as a foundation with a crab cake on top! For the fish sliders, use the Mango Slaw recipe alone or add some shredded cabbage and 1/2 bag coleslaw with a little lemon dressing (by Cookie & Kate) for a great mango slaw. Substitutions: You may use strawberries instead of mangoes as shown in the above picture. I prefer mangoes when available. Homemade Buns These homemade buns are so easy to make and can be mixed up and ready to pop in the oven in only 30 minutes. If you have children, they would enjoy helping you! Roasted Fresh Corn 4 ears of corn cooked with husk on in microwave, remove husks and break in half. Asian Dressing Soak corn in Asian dressing for an hour to overnight in fridge. 1/3 c olive or avocado oil 3 Tablespoons liquid aminos 2 Tablespoons Mirin 2 Tablespoons honey 2 teaspoons sesame oil 2 cloves chopped garlic 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger 2 teaspoons Siracha Cook corn in 2 Tablespoons of butter in pan on stove over medium heat to brown corn ( corn was previously cooked in microwave) Spoon remaining dressing on corn as it cooks. Remove from pan and sprinkle grated parmesan cheese on it. I hope you enjoy these fish sliders with homemade buns and fresh roasted corn! This is a great camping recipe! Just cook the fish outdoors on your Coleman stove. The buns can be easily made in your Airstream oven using the convection oven. Amazon Bella Electric Griddle Follow along at www.lovingpetite.com for more recipes, over 55 petite fashions, and vacation rentals! We may earn a small commission from sales made through affiliate links. We would love to hear your comments. Did you prepare your fish blackened or fried with a crispy crust? Do you prefer mango salsa or mango slaw on your buns. What substitutions did you use? As an affiliate, I may earn a commission made through purchases made through links and through purchases made through My Amazon Storefront.

Every healthy diet needs a chocolate treat! Dark chocolate, nuts, and seeds support a healthy heart, decrease weight gain, and help prevent diabetes. In addition, nuts and seeds decrease inflammation, help maintain blood circulation, and help maintain blood pressure. I stumbled across a similar recipe and adapted it to meet my healthy criteria of no sugar. I also added my choice of nuts and seeds. You can adapt this recipe to use your own preferred dried fruit, nuts, and seeds. I also use unsweetened cocoa disks from Mexico, so I can adjust the sweetener as needed. Healthy Chocolate Chunks Healthy chocolate fruit/nut chunks   Ingredients: 1 bag of Lily’s no sugar dark chocolate chips or 2 Mexican cocoa disks melted with maple syrup, honey or Stevia added for sweetener. Handful of dried dates (chopped) 1/2 c. dried cranberries (craisins) 1/4 c. dried mangoes 1/4/ c. sweetened coconut ½ c.  roasted almonds 1/4 c. chopped pecans 1/4 c. pumpkin seeds 1/4. c. natural peanut butter ½ c.  pistachios ¼ c  peanuts ¼ c. pumpkin seeds 1 Tablespoon celery seeds 2Tlbs olive oil Optional: 1/4 c. chopped strawberries or whole blueberries Optional: 1 Tlbs Maple syrup Optional: 1 scoop of Vital Proteins powder   (Use nuts of choice: pecans and macadamia nuts work well too.  Use seeds of choice: sunflower, chia, flaxseeds, etc). Use choice of dried fruits: dates, apricots, raisins, and cranberries. I like to use a variety of different nut, fruit, and seed combinations since they all provide a variety of essential minerals and vitamins (Eat to live; don't live to eat!)   Place chopped dried fruit (dates, dried cranberries & mangoes) in bowl of water while preparing nut/seed mixture.   Melt chocolate slowly with 1 -2 Tlbs of olive oil to give the chocolate a smooth consistency and texture. I melt chocolate in a measuring cup for 30 seconds in the microwave and then stir until completely melted. If chocolate gets too hot, it will clump up and you want to keep a smooth texture. AFTER CHOCOLATE IS MELTED: Add natural sweetener if needed-not needed if you use Lily’s no sugar added dark choc chips)   Chop nuts and seeds together and roast in a pan with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil until you get a nutty aroma.   Mix drained dates and dried cranberries (Craisins) into nut mixture. Add 1-2 Tablespoons of natural peanut butter   Add 1 Tlbs of maple syrup to nut/date mixture.   Pour 1 tsp of melted chocolate in a silicone muffin pan.  Pour remaining melted chocolate on top of nut/fruit mixture. Amazon Silicone Mini Muffin Pan Amazon Silicone Muffin Pan  Place a spoon full of nut/fruit mixture on top of chocolate in each section of muffin pan. Spoon remaining chocolate on top of fruit/nut mixture. Refrigerate overnight until chocolate is firm.  Serve for dessert or enjoy as a snack!   We eat one as a dessert with our breakfast every morning. This would make a wonderful snack as well! Shop Amazon's silicone muffin pans: Amazon Muffin Silicone Pan I may earn a small commission from any purchases made from this website or instagram. Any commissions earned are used to continue to provide healthy living and fashion tips. Please follow along at www.journeywithodells.com for more recipes and adventures! We would love to hear your comments! If you have made this recipe, please leave a review and let us know how you liked it.

Remembering the Good ol' days I remember the days of going to my Grandma's house in Florida. They lived a modest lifestyle, but my grandmother always prepared an amazing meal! My favorite meal of my grandmother’s meals was fried chicken, butter beans, creamed corn, fried okra, and buttermilk bisquits with butter. We always looked forward to eating the most delicious biscuits. It was the kind of biscuits that you couldn't eat just one and sometimes my father would enjoy 3 of these scrumptious biscuits. My previous attempts of biscuit making With three young boys, I tried often to teach myself to make buttermilk biscuits. Since I failed to ever get the recipe from my grandmother before she passed away, I tried so many recipes and spent so much time rolling out biscuit dough and cutting out the dough. The biscuits were always hard and did not resemble the golden, fluffy biscuits I enjoyed with my family at my grandmother's home. Pleas to get the biscuit recipe My Mom never had the recipe for buttermilk biscuits either. However, I convinced her to tell me what she knew about Grandma's biscuit making. Mom told me the only thing she remembered was Grandma putting flour in a bowl, adding a handful of lard, and a cup of buttermilk before scooping up a handful of dough and patting it into a biscuit. Hmmm, lard is the one thing that I had not tried. I tried butter, margarine, shortening, but I had not tried lard. Also, I always rolled my biscuit dough out and cut it out with a cutter. The result: too much handling and warm dough which made some really tough biscuits. The three secrets to good biscuits Keep your ingredients very cold. (The lard should not melt into the flour before it goes into a hot oven. That is what produces the right texture to biscuits. ). Place ingredients in the freezer or refrigerator for a few minutes if ingredients start to get warm during preparation of the recipe and always use frozen lard. Use lard rendered from the leaf fat of a hog fed natural food. Since toxins are stored in the fat of animals, you want to choose leaf fat that comes from a healthy animal free of chemicals, hormones, and processed feed. Handle your dough as little as possible to mix ingredients together. After you add the buttermilk, mix very gently with a spatula. It's ok if the mixture is still slightly wet. You can add a little flour when you scoop each biscuit. Grandma's Buttermilk Biscuits 2- 1/2 c. all purpose flour 2 Tablespoons baking powder 1 Teaspoon salt 1/2 c. frozen lard + 1 tablespoons for greasing pan 1 c. homemade buttermilk (1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon white vinegar) 2 Tablespoons honey 2 Tablespoons butter Directions: Add 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar to 1 c. whole milk and put in the refrigerator. Mix dry ingredients. Grate frozen lard into the dry ingredients. Cut into dry ingredients with a fork and knife to make certain the lard doesn't clump into a large clump, but stays in small pea-sized clumps. Add 1 tablespoon of honey to buttermilk and pour into a well shaped into the dry ingredients. Gently mix ingredients with a spatula until barely mixed. Grease a cast iron pan with lard. Scoop dough into your hand, add a small amount of flour if needed for it to stick together to form a biscuit. Place in pan with biscuits touching. Bake at 425 degrees for 13-15 minutes. Remove from oven. Brush with 1 Tablespoon of honey and melted butter. Place bake in the oven for another 3-5 minutes until the biscuits have a golden brown buttery crust. Serve warm. For more recipes and adventures, follow along at www.lovingpetite.com for more recipes, petite fashion styling tips, and vacation rentals. Amazon affiliate- commission earned; Visit My Amazon Storefront.

Lard, nature's purest cooking oil, is making a return to healthy cooking. Crazy how research keeps changing and all of the things that were determined to be unhealthy in the later part of the 1900's is now determined to be exactly what helps our bodies function the best! It really is quite simple since God created natural food for our bodies. It wasn't until preservatives and processed foods were introduced that we started to see the growing trend of weight gain and cancer. Getting back to natural cooking and eating has been a goal of ours over the past few years. We still enjoy adding some white flour, sugar, and processed butter to some treats. But, on the average day, we strive to eat clean. Between the two of us, we have lost over 45 pounds over a course of 18 months. Recently, I've had an interest in learning to make the perfect pie crust for the strawberry/blueberry pies we enjoy making every spring from fresh berries picked in a field. I remember how good pie crusts and buttermilk biscuits tasted when I was a child. What was the difference in how I've been making pie crusts? LARD, that white thick substance that looks like shortening. Even though I have not used shortening in many years, I definitely used my share of shortening for cooking while raising my family. With the healthy trend, I switched to Virgin Olive Oil. Recent studies have determined 'clean' lard is actually a very healthy choice and contains many health benefits. Lard contains no transfat and is a good source of monounsaturated fat; it increases HDL (good cholesterol) and lowers LDL (bad cholesterol), making it a heart healthy choice. In addition, Lard is a great source of Vitamin D, minerals, and other vitamins if lard is rendered from hogs who ate naturally from pastures and forests. Healthy lard is even making a trend into skincare since its ph is similar to humans. Lard is produced from leaf fat, the fat surrounding a hog's kidneys. Since toxins are stored in fat, you want to make certain you choose leaf fat from hogs that have been chemical free and fed quality, natural food. This is why it is important to make your own leaf fat vs. buying it in a grocery store, where you have no idea of the health of the hogs. Making leaf fat is an easy process. Once you have chosen high quality leaf fat, the steps to make leaf fat are time consuming, but not difficult. Thaw the frozen leaf fat in the refrigerator. Place 4-5 pounds of leaf fat in a large crock pot. Add 1/4 cup of water. Cook on high for 2 hours (uncovered) and then turn to low for the remaining 4-6 hours. It will be necessary to stir it about once an hour to prevent from sticking and add a little more water only if it looks like it may start sticking. You want to add as little water as necessary to keep it from sticking and refrain from covering the crock pot because the moisture will produce a lesser quality of lard at the end. When most of your fat turns to liquid, simply spoon it into a large glass measuring cup covered in cheesecloth to sift out any chunks of meat or fat. The liquid will be clear to slightly amber colored and will turn white when it cools and hardens. Store in the refrigerator for weeks to months or store in the freezer for long time storage. We also made beef tallow using large cuts of fat from cattle that had been produced from natural food. Beef tallow is made the same way as lard. Because beef tallow has a strong meat flavor, it is best used for cooking meats and vegetables. We put our lard to test on Mother's Day Weekend and made the best Strawberry/Blueberry Pie that I have ever made! We also had delicious buttermilk biscuits stuffed with savory meat from short ribs. Moderation is the key! We plan to use lard for special baking. However, we will implement beef tallow and small amounds of lard into our daily healthy recipes. I sure enjoyed the pie and biscuits made with lard, but I haven't been able to slather it on my body yet! I'm thinking most baby boomers grew up eating something amazing made from lard. What were some of your childhood favorites made from lard? Will we see the industry trend back to using natural lard again? What are your thoughts? Follow along at www.lovingpetite.com for more recipes, over 55 petite fashions styling tips, and vacation rentals.

Strawberry season is here and it is time to make a really good pie, strawberry/blueberry pie. We love picking fresh strawberries every year to make our healthy strawberry pies. There is something about going out to a field and picking fresh fruit, cleaning it, cutting it up, and making a special delicacy for your family and friends. This year, I wanted a new recipe, something for a special occasion, Mother's Day! Nothing screams homemade like a pie crust made with real lard. That's it! That is what I would like for mother's day, 5 pounds of leaf fat. What is leaf fat? It is the fat surrounding a pig's kidney. If your pig has been fortunate enough to be raised on a farm in the Georgia mountains where he ate real food including acorns from the trees and corn from chemical free crops, the lard made from this pig is actually a healthy choice for baking instead of shortening, oil, or butter. Actually, lard has numerous health benefits Lard contains a large amount of Vitamin D along with minerals and other vitamins. It is a saturated fat, whole natural food that your body processes well. Lard raises the HDL (good cholesterol) and lowers LDL (bad cholesterol), making it a good source for maintaining cholesterol. Lard is also used in skin care because of its organic properties and having similar ph to our own skin. Lard can be purchased in a grocery store. However, the lard found in a grocery store could be from animals raised commercially and since toxins are stored in fat, the lard would not be a healthy choice. It is important to make certain, you purchase leaf fat produced from animals that were raised in a healthy environment with clean chemical free food. Hogs that were raised in pastures and forests eating natural food are the best source for leaf fat to render lard. Still, you should have seen my husband's face when I said, "Honey, I sure would love 5 pounds of pig fat for Mother's Day!" So, off we went to find some really good leaf fat and we found it at Mountain Valley Farm Store in Ellijay, Ga. They raise pigs and cattle for meat to sell at their store. The lovely lane leading up to the store was lined with barns and fields for the animals. Inside the store, pictures of their animals eating real food are displayed for patrons to admire. With 5 pounds of leaf fat secured, we headed home and began rendering lard (just another name for cooking lard). It was really quite easy, but took some time. We placed the lard in a large uncovered crock pot and let it cook for 7-8 hours before straining the oil through cheesecloth where we gathered about 2 quarts of pure lard. With my previous pie baking experiences, I came up with this recipe for a strawberry/blueberry pie made like Grandma's pies made back in the day. Lard Pie Crust 3-1/2 cups of all purpose flour 1 tsp salt 1 stick plus 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter 1/2c. + 1 Tblsp cold lard 1/2-2/3 c. ice water as needed Mix flour with salt Use a food processor to cut in butter and lard. (I have a small food processor, so I had to cut in the butter and lard in 2 separate batches and then combine them. Place first batch in the fridge while working with the second batch to keep ingredients cold. Then, mix both batches together. Add ice water, just enough to hold it together. Knead lightly on floured wax paper, shape into 2 discs, wrap in plastic wrap and place in fridge for 2-3 hours to chill. NOTE: The pie dough needs to stay cold the entire time. Strawberry/Blueberry Pie Filling 3 cups strawberries 1 cup blueberries 1 lemon 2 tablespoons corn starch 1/4-1/2 c. Stevia (depending on how sweet you like your pie) 1 teaspoon really good quality vanilla Directions: 1. Wash and Slice strawberries 2. Place 1.5 cups of strawberries, 1/2 c. blueberries, and juice of 1 lemon in sauce pan with 1/4 c. water, 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, and 1/4 c. Stevia . Bring to a boil and then turn it off to allow it to thicken. Add vanilla. 3. Place 1.5 cups strawberries and 1/2 c. in separate bowl. How to put it all together: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 1. Roll out one pie crust disc to approximate size of pie pan on wax paper or saran wrap. Place on top of pie pan. Peel of wax paper or wrap. 2. Shape your pie crust and poke holes in the bottom to keep it from puffing up while cooking. 3. Wrap in saran wrap and place it back in the fridge while you roll out the 2nd disc of pie crust and cut into strips. (Remember, the trick is to keep the dough cold prior to baking. Do not let it get warm. The butter and lard will melt in the oven making some awesome fluffy layers of crust. TIME TO PUT IT ALL TOGETHER! 1. Add raw strawberries/blueberries to pie crust. 2. Pour cooked berry mixture on top. 3. Put lattice strips on pie. 4. Brush whisked egg on top of lattice strips. 5. Sprinkle white sugar on top. 6. Bake in oven 30-45 minutes until lightly brown. If you have come this far, you will want to serve this pie with the easiest homemade vanilla ice cream that requires minimal ingredients and no eggs. The secret is using premium vanilla with little specks of vanilla beans. Yes, it is a lovely Mother's Day! We had a wonderful adventure for a few days leading up to this special holiday, picking strawberries, searching for the perfect leaf fat, rendering lard in our crockpot, and putting it all together. The best part is sharing this creation with family and friends. Yes, it really is the simple things in life! The question is, "What will next Mother's Day bring next year?" If I had a goat, I could make caramels like cajeta from the goat's milk.....just saying! If you like this story, please follow and read about more recipes, fashion, over 55 petite fashion styling tips, and vacation rentals on www.lovingpetite.com Amazon affiliate- commission earned

With so many new puppy accessories available today, these are the puppy accessories you must have for home and travel to keep that new member of the family! We did it! We have a new baby, puppy that is! Jack at 1.6 pounds and 10 weeks of age, brought a bright light to our family after the loss of Lili, our 15-year-old chihuahua. Prior to picking up Jack, our wonderful breeder provided us with a list of accessories to ease our new pup's transition and of course, we added more items once we started browsing new puppy accessories. From car seats to puzzles, the abundance of puppy accessories have grown much like the plethora of accessories available for new babies, making me wonder how my children and previous pets ever made it through infancy. Amazon Heart Beating Dog One of the recommendations was a stuffed dog with a battery-operated beating heart to help our puppy feel like its mother was close by. Wanting to be good puppy parents, we promptly ordered it after placing the deposit on our puppy. Imagine our surprise when it arrived and was 5 times the size of our puppy. We decided to keep it, after all, we didn't want our pup deprived of having a make believe mother or father. We decided to name it Ray Hickey after my husband, Doug's imaginary childhood friend since both were make believe members of the family. (The story has been told that Ray Hickey encouraged my Doug to ride shotgun with him in Doug's Dad's car as Ray Hickey knocked it out of gear. Fortunately, Ray Hickey also told Doug to jump out, so Doug watched safely as his Dad's car rolled down the hill and into a ditch.) Puppy sitting in a crate Amazon Small Dog Crate Along with this beautiful heart beating dog, we also purchased a chihuahua crate. Poor Jack spent 2 nights squeezed under Ray Hickey's ear with no room to even turn around before we decided to remove the beating heart, wrap it in a blanket, and let Ray Hickey sleep outside the crate. Jack and Ray Hickey were relieved. Crate training was on the way now and improved drastically when we put the crate in the bed with us at night. After just a few nights, Jack was sleeping like a baby and his parents, who are actually grandparents , couldn't be more thrilled. AMAZON DOG CAR SEAT Along with a crate, beating heart stuffed dog, and puppy car seat, came regular packages from Amazon with more must needed accessories for our furry new baby. WALMART FIORELLI HANDBAG AMAZON RELATED DOG CARRIER Now, we can't leave the house without Jack's puppy bag, or as Doug likes to call it, Jack's diaper bag. This is a must have for tiny puppies. It has allowed us to eat a many restaurants and makes shopping a breeze. Just tuck him in with his food, water, and a few toys and our puppy is ready for any adventure! Jack's harness came from Island Dog, Saint Simons Island, Ga. (best pet shop in South Ga! Puppy in his Amazon Crate We found out quickly puppies require toys for chewing and tugging, treats for training good behavior, and a good harness/leash set. Since Jack was a little guy, we cut some holes in a sock because all puppy sweaters were too big! We also found that Jack enjoyed riding inside our zip sweatshirts, especially if it was cold outside. If you have a tiny puppy, you will find that a few zip sweatshirts are a great investment for those times when you have guests and want to keep your pup safe from kiddos and people stepping on him, but want him to be around people. However, it is beneficial for your pup to have all fours on the ground to meet people and other dogs, but only when it is in a safe environment. Amazon Communication Button Amazon Communication Buttons The use of tiny treats was beneficial for training Jack to follow basic commands (come when his name is called, sit, lay down, high five, dance, and stay.). As a former speech/language pathologist, I utilized my training and began training Jack to press a prerecorded button. Initially Jack used the button to request a treat, but he quickly learned to press the button to request to go outside. I just placed the treat on the button, then under the button. He began using his paw to try and retrieve it. Every time he pressed it, he heard the recording of treat and was rewarded with a tiny crumb of a treat. Once he mastered this skill, we placed the button beside the door and took him outside after giving him the treat. Forty-eight hours later, we stopped giving him a treat and took him outside when he pressed the button. He stopped pressing it continuously, as he had once done for treats, and began pressing it only when he wanted to go outside. AMAZON DOG PUZZLE WITH 3 DIFFERENT LEVELS By the time Jack was 15 weeks old, we decided our little pup was really smart and added puzzles to his toy box. Yes, your puppy likes and needs stimulating toys. I think he thought he was a teenager by 15 weeks old and was ready to have something in addition to chew toys, so we added puzzles and he loves them! Amazon Dog Portable Bed AMAZON DOG PORTABLE PEN AMAZON 2 X 3 SHAG RUG Jack loves this puppy playpen; we call it his ‘house’. We put a thick rug in it to hide treats in so he has a safe, fun, place to stay while we run errands. Just place it in a small room with a pee pad ( which is the only time Jack is allowed to use a pee pad). Every puppy should be evaluated by a veterinarian and microchipped. Follow your vet's advice on feeding schedules and chew toys. Our vet recommended a feeding schedule of three times a day and also suggested a touch of Karo syrup if he appeared to be sluggish since tiny dogs often have difficulty with blood sugar. He also recommended Nylon bones to keep Jack from ingesting anything that he could not digest. You may click on the links below pictures of our favorite puppy accessories to purchase through Amazon. We may earn a small commission from purchases. Below are some additional items we have purchased through Amazon and found to be useful for our puppy at home and while traveling. Amazon Small Chihuahua bed Amazon Dog Sling Carrier Amazon small Dog Bowls with Silicone Mat Amazon Heavy Duty Exercise Pen Amazon White Cloth Dog Sling Carrier Amazon Soft Fleece Dog Blanket (2) Amazon small dog Nylabone Please leave a comment and let us know your favorite puppy accessories (traditional and nontraditional) We may earn a commission from purchases made through Amazon links. Follow along at www.lovingpetite.com for petite fashion, recipes, and vacation rentals.

I hope you enjoy this new chicken dish! Chicken is my 'go to' meat for to serve guests. This is a recipe I created on one of those rainy days when I used what I had on hand, but wanted to make it appealing for guests. It turns out, it is now a favorite of my family and friends. It is not difficult, but does require a few extra steps since I like to use fresh ingredients that will require chopping and and extra day to marinate the chicken to get that juicy, flavor full taste in every bite. This recipe serves 12; just cut in half for a small family or for a couple who enjoys leftovers. Belinda's Chicken DeLight 6 chicken breasts (thinly sliced lengthwise to make 12 servings) Chicken Marinade (marinade chicken in a freezer bag overnight using these ingredients) 1/2 c extra virgin olive oil 1 lemon Garlic powder Onion powder Italian Seasonings Pepper The next day...... 6 carrots (finely chopped) 1 onion (finely chopped) 6 cloves garlic (finely chopped) 2 packs of Seeds of Change Quinoa and Brown Rice 1-2 cups of fresh chopped Kale (no stems) Italian Seasoning Bread Crumbs 1 egg Muenster or mozzarella cheese chopped chives or new onions. Gravy (because food is just better with gravy) 1 T Better Than Bouillon Italian Herb buoillon 1/2 c. water 1/2 c. heavy cream few cloves chopped garlic 1T cornstarch 1/2 onion Olive oil or butter to brown garlic and onion Directions Slice chicken breasts lengthwise, cover with saran wrap and beat each side with a meat tenderizer. Place chicken breasts in a freezer bag with seasonings, olive oil, and garlic. Refrigerate overnight. The next day, chop garlic carrots, onions, and kale. Cook Seeds of Change Quinoa and Brown Rice in a little olive oil and water. Add the chopped carrots and onions. Cover and cook (about 5 minutes). Add chopped garlic and kale to quinoa mixture. Cover and turn off heat. Let it sit while you cook the chicken breasts and gravy. Coat chicken breasts in egg, dip in italian seasoning crumbs, and cook in olive oil just until brown on each side (not fully cooked). GRAVY: Brown 1/2 chopped onion and a few cloves of chopped garlic in olive oil or butter. Add 1/2 c. water (mixed with 1T ob Italian Herb Bouillon) and 1/2 c. cream. Add 1 T cornstarch and bring to boil. Immediately cut back to simmer. Allow gravy to simmer until thickened. Spread quinoa and kale mixture in 2 big casserole dishes. Place chicken breasts on top. Place a slice of muenster cheese on top. Place gravy on top. Cook in over on 350 degrees 15-20 minutes until chicken breasts are thoroughly cooked. Spread chopped chives or onion sprouts on top before

Healthy berry Crepes are such a delight for breakfast. The highlight of a trip to Key West for my husband, Doug, and me was to have French Crepes at an outdoor restaurant on the patio. We enjoyed it so much, we went back again before returning home. With Doug talking about how much he enjoyed the crepes, I set out to learn to make them in a healthy version without having the guilt of eating traditional crepes. Having tried numerous recipes, we concur this healthy version has all of the flavor of traditional crepes. I still use the traditional recipe for French Crepes and only substitute Stevia for sugar in the recipe. I use a modified healthy version for the cream cheese filling that includes cream cheese made from almond milk and part skim ricotta cheese mixed with Stevia sweetener and lemon. I also use Stevia in the berry sauce. This recipe is a good source of vitamins and minerals to support healthy bones. It is good for individuals who need extra calcium, vitamin D, and protein for osteoporosis, a disease that causes your bones to become dense and brittle. The berries are full of antioxidants, just another extra health benefit! Classic French Crepes by The Flavor Bender ▢1 ¼ cup milk 10 fl oz ▢3 large eggs ▢2 tbsp oil or melted butter ( I use extra virgin oil) ▢2 tsp sugar for savory crepes, (I use Stevia) ▢3 tbsp sugar for sweet dessert crepes ▢½ tsp kosher salt ▢4 oz all purpose flour scant 1 cup To Cook ▢2 tbsp softened butter or Oil. More as needed ( I use extra virgin olive oil) Ricotta and Cream Cheese Filling ( from Kosher by Gloria) 12 ounces cream cheese 12 ounces ricotta cheese 1/3 c. sugaar 1 small lemon zested 1 c. blueberries Healthy Ricotta and Cream Cheese Filling -Healthy Version by Belinda (adapted from Kosher by Gloria) 8 ounces Kite Almond Milk Cream Cheese 8 ounces part skim Ricotta Cheese 1/3 c. Stevia 1/2 small lemon zested 3/4 c. blueberries Belinda's Berry Sauce 2/3 c. water 3 Tbsp cornstartch 3 Tbsp Stevia 2/3 c. blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries (use one type of mix all together ) Directions: Belinda's Berry Sauce: Mix cornstarch and stevia in water. Add berries and pour in a small pot. Cook on medium heat until starts to boil and then turn down to low heat. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until thickened. Ricotta and Cream Cheese Filling - Mix ricotta and cream cheese filling. Set aside. Classic French Crepes : I keep it simple and mix all ingredients in a blender. HOW TO COOK THESE AMAZING CREPES: Add 1-2 Tbsp of olive oil to pan. Heat on medium heat. Pour 1/4 c. batter in the pan and cook for a few minutes until brown on each side. 2. Transfer crepe to a plate. and place 2-3 Tbsp. of cream cheese and berries of your choice on crepe. Fold over and turn upside down. Spoon berry sauce on top. Add more berries on top. Add chilled bananas and/or other fruit of choice. We love chilled bananas with this! I don't know what it is about a chilled banana, but it goes really well with this crepe! Sprinkle confectioner sugar or if you are health conscious, Sprinkle Swerve confectioner sugar for great flavor without the added calories. With the healthy version of crepes, you can enjoy crepes for breakfast several times a week without the extra calories. Store crepe batter, cream cheese filling, sliced berries, and berry sauce in seperate containers to quickly make a crepe on those mornings when you have only 10 minutes to throw something together for breakfast. Your kids will love eating breakfast and you will probably get a smile from your husband, too! (I may make a small commission from purchases made through Amazon affiliate sales when you click a link to buy on Amazon.) Carote Nonstick Frying Pan (Click to buy from Amazon) This is a great nonstick pan for cooking crepes, scrambled eggs, and omlettes! (I may make a small commission from purchases made when you click and purchase from an Amazon affiliate link.) Please follow along @ www.journeywithodells.com for more recipes and adventures!

Who wants a quick easy meal that can easily be thrown together in an RV, ober a campfire, or even on your stove at home? I created this Blackened Shrimp Grain Bowl after putting together quinoa salads. You can make it simple or lavish, depending on the ingredients you have on hand and the time you want to put into it. For this reason, here are two different recipes. The first recipe uses only 10 ingredients, but still contains awesome flavor. The second recipe is lavish for those special guests or when you need to tell your husband that the icemaker is broken 😳 Simple Blackened Grain Bowl 1 pound Blackened Shrimp 1 pack of Seeds of Change Quinoa and Brown Rice) 3/4 cup of Kale or your favorite greens 1/2 cup Feta cheese 1/4 rice vinegar 1 Tablespoon virgin olive oil 1/4 c chopped onions 1/2 c Craisins or other dried fruit 1 tablespoon Italian Seasonings Salt/ pepper to season Lavish Blackened Grain Bowl 1 pound Blackened Shrimp 1 pack of Seeds of Change Quinoa and Brown Rice) 3/4 cup kale or your favorite greens 1/2 Feta or your favorite cheese 1/4 cup chopped red onion 1/2 cup of craisins, dried cherries, or dried blueberries 1/4 c chopped sweet peppers 1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes 1/4 cup chopped artichokes 1/2 cup chopped cucumber 1/4 cup rice vinegar Juice of 1 lime Sprinkle of red pepper flakes 1 Tablespoon of chopped garlic 1Tablespoon Italian Seasonings Salt/Pepper to season Balsamic Glaze Steps: Blackened Shrimp: peel and dry shrimp thoroughly. Coat with your favorite seasonings : Old Bay, Pepper, garlic powder, and onion pepper. Add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to pan. Heat to medium heat and cook shrimp until nicely browned, turning only once to keep the coating on each side. The Seeds of Change does not require cooking, so you can crumble it up in a bowl straight from the package. However, I like the texture and flavor when I cook it in a skillet mixed with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and 1 tablespoon of water over low heat for 3 minutes. Stir, turn off heat, cover, and let it sit a few minutes. Add to the bowl. Mix remainder ingredients in a bowl. Add quinoa and brown rice mixture. Stir well Glaze with balsamic glaze. This is a great meal all by itself! While on a recent camping trip, I served it with coleslaw, Tsanziki. And pretzel twists. This is a great dish to use a variety of fruits and vegetables. I’ve used sugar snap peas, fresh tomatoes, and street corn. Chopped apples and chopped roasted sweet potatoes are good in a fall dish. You can use chicken, pork, beef, or turkey sausage instead of blackened shrimp. Poppy seed dressing instead of rice vinegar is also a special treat. Serve with a cilantro lime dressing as a side dish with Mexican dishes. What are some of your favorite ingredients to use in a grain bowl? Is this a dish your family would enjoy? Keep following along at www.journeyeithodells.com for more recipes and adventures!

The 2025 Airstream International Rally in Sedalia, Missouri was full of surprises! Upon arrival, we knew this would be a huge event with over 1,000 Airstreams camping at the Missouri Fairgrounds. Our Campsite-Doug and Belinda One of our favorite events was the Vintage Airstream Show. They held a parade and then allowed everyone to tour the airstreams. They had to be 25 years old to be considered vintage. It was amazing to see how people had worked so hard to restore them! We met so many wonderful people, learned about their interests from Ham radios to Miatas. We even reconnected with some of Doug's friends that he knew from high school (...a few years ago). Many Airstreamers were full-timers, but most of the campers were in the same season of life as Doug and me, enjoying retirement! The Rally had a variety of exhibits and workshops to attend that covered interesting topics for everyone including RV maintenance, cooking classes, and specific hobbies. We attended some of the workshops and even a Bridgerton Tea Party. Yes, some of the husbands were good sports and sipped on tea, also. Doug was one of them, but he passed on the costume. There was a contest for best crown/hat, dress, curtsy, and couples. I forgot how to curtsy, so I just 'squat'. Needless to say, I did not win. It was fun to see the different china. Everyone was required to bring their own teacup. The lady next to me from Maryland, told me that her china came from England and her husband's father had brought it back for his wife many years ago. When she asked about my China, I heard Doug almost choke on his little tea cake. (I purchased my china set from Goodwill for a bargain price and yes, it was a good find!). I wasn't about to tell her, especially with my southern accent, so I told her the truth-my china was made in Ohio. It is Salem by Century and it has 23 karat gold trim. I couldn't even look at Doug for fear he would just bust out laughing. The Winners! The Katy Trail was easily accessible from the fairgrounds and provided a great trail with shade for riding bikes. Yes, Airstream folks like their bikes, electric bikes that is! At every event, people on electric bikes showed up in groves. It just goes to show how we all like to get back to our youth in this season of life! The Halloween Dance was my favorite event. There were some great costumes at the dance and it was fun to see everyone having a great time! Doug dressed up as 'Gilligan; I was 'Mary Ann" and our little dog, Lili, was the 'Skipper'. As we rode through the campground to the event, people yelled out to us, "Hey Gilligan & MaryAnn! At the Halloween dance, a gentleman commented, "He had always hoped Gilligan and Mary Ann would make it off that island and get married, so we had fulfilled his dream." LOL! Lili tolerated her 'Skipper' hat and even tolerated a little dance with Gilligan. Looks like Doug may have a new job for the remake of ‘Gilligan’, not so much for MaryAnn. Some friends from Top of Georgia dressed up like the Tin Man and Scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz Jeff & Deena- from Georgia ( Tin Man &Scarecrow) Little Red Riding Hood & Wolf The Sun and Earth There was entertainment every evening. One evening included a band and hot air balloons that were tethered to only rise a short distance. They were beautiful against the night sky when lit up! Another evening included ragtime music and art displays. The final evening included recognizing the organizers of the event and a band. We spent some time exploring Sedalia. The architecture of the historic churches was exquisite. The steeples and unique stained -glass are features that are just not used in churches like they had been used at the turn of the century. Most of the churches had been built in the late 1800's. We also saw an outstanding monument at the entrance to the Missouri fairgrounds that depicted life in the mid-west in the 1800's including an old steam locomotive and bronze statues of a cowboy and indian rounding up cattle with a cattle dog. This was our first Airstream Rally and we hope to attend more rallies in the future. The entertainment and workshops were so much fun, but meeting people from all over the country that share the passion of camping in an Airstream and hearing their stories was by far the best part of the whole experience. If you have the opportunity to attend an Airstream Rally, I highly recommend you jump on that opportunity!

We love country music from George Jones to Morgan Wallen and everyone in between! But, with only 2 days to spend in Nashville and perfect weather, my husband, Doug, and I chose to check out the historic mansions to learn more about the history of the area. Day 1: We visited the Belle Meade Historic Mansion & Winery. This Greek Revival mansion built in 1853 was gorgeous from the stunning carriage house to the beautiful mansion. We enjoyed the lavish antiques and decor. We were not allowed to take photos inside the mansion, so we only have photos outside. The grounds were decorated with fall flowers and pumpkins. Hearing the stories about the Harding and Jackson families along with African- American slaves including wives and children, it was apparent that people were either wealthy, a slave, or lived like a slave. Wives and children were also required to work long hours. Even when slaves were free and worked under a contract after the 13th amendment, many of them struggled with a hard life including very low pay, rations of food, harsh discipline, and even arrest if they broke the contract and tried to flee. It was a very hard time for slaves and people who were not wealthy. We enjoyed walking through the carriage house to view various carriages and sleds used during that time period. Since raising horses was one of the ways they made money, the property consisted of 30+ acres, stables, and barns. The tour ended with a free wine tasting of 4 different wines including a muscadine wine that reminded me of a time in my childhood when my Mom made wine, but it exploded in our china cabinet😳 I would love to visit again and hear more in depth stories of the lives of the enslaved people including how they endured and their motivation for a better life. Our next stop was Belmont Mansion, a mansion on the campus of Belmont University. The Belmont Mansion was built by the Aclens between 1850 and 1860 before the Civil War. It had contained 36 rooms, a water tower (still standing today), large greenhouse , numerous slave houses, and even a zoo. It had been the largest home in Tennessee before the Civil War. Certain rooms of the mansion had been occupied by the Union army during the Civil War. Stepping into the exquisitely decorated mansion, gave us the idea of what it would have been like to have attended one of their parties that lasted all day included over 20 different courses of food in the huge dining room. The mansion has been restored with some of the original furniture, paintings, wallpaper, custom made China, and sculptures. The wood floors had been restored and painted to look like marble. We were told the painted floors and rose -tinted glass windows throughout the home were a symbol of wealth during that time period. Day 2: Andrew Jackson Hermitage- The tour of the Andrew Jackson ( our 7th president) Hermitage was a favorite of mine because it truly depicted how life was during that time period, not just by the mansion, but also by the tour of the grounds including the smokehouse, outdoor kitchen, slave cabins, and cemetery. A guided tour was provided through the mansion similar to the guided tours of the other mansions. However the self-guided audio tour provided much information detailing what life was like for everyone including the Jackson family and the many slaves that lived on the property. So many stories!! They told about the use of different bells and their meanings- “we need help in The house”, “passing out rations of food/clothing”, "we have news", or “disciplining slaves”. Each bell had a different meaning. They told about the struggle with growing cotton in Tennessee. Since it takes 180 days to grow cotton, entire crops were often lost to early frost. The most interesting stories were about the hard lives the slaves endured with long work hours and food rations. I can’t imagine what it would have been like to be hungry and work in the fields picking cotton. Having picked tobacco as a teen in South Ga (on a tobacco picker), that work was hard, but this would have been a whole different ballgame. Even worse, the slaves’ children worked also. We saw a document where slaves were listed the for tax purposes. It listed a last name, wife, plus the number of children. It’s so hard to comprehend that there was ever a inhumane time when a person would own another person. Cheekwood Mansion & Botanical Garden-our final destination. This place was spectacular and I just wish we could have spent more time there but, the day slipped away from us. I cant even describe how beautiful it was. Since it was fall, there were pumpkins of different colors tucked away in the massive flower beds. Paved walkways flowed through manicured hills of blooming flowers. Pumpkins were used to build small houses for children to explore. A grand train set meandered through a beautiful garden complete with tunnels, bridges, houses, and water features. A fall scarecrow display was made by numerous organizations in the area. Each scarecrow was uniquely made. The mansion appeared more modern than the others we toured. It housed many gorgeous paintings and had an amazing staircase. We didn’t have a chance to see the large troll sculptures, but Doug was visited by a big green grasshopper. We agreed we would like to return and visit during different seasons for the beautiful flowers and seasonal events. So, kick up your heels to some great country music when you are in Nashville, Tennessee. But, don't forget to explore these historic gems that will help remind you of the lifestyle endured by our ancestors. Visiting these historic sites will make you grateful for your freedom and basic necessities (including food and clothing). Share this history with your children. Don't let our American history be forgotten! What are some of your favorite sites to see in Nashville, Tennessee?