Rainy days and Tuesdays....

When I'm trying to catch up on writing actually love the gray skies and sounds of the cars passing by in the rain. Peaceful day today. Tuesdays are usually the days I catch up on food blogs.  

The post tomorrow will be Paprikás Csirke better known around here as Chicken Paprikash. A lovely stew of chicken, onions and of course paprika.  It's the kind of dish that when it's simmering on the stove takes me back to childhood.  Very much a simple to make dinner that's a real family favorite.

  Paprikás Csirke on a bed of egg noodles

The rain also will often take me back and have me reflecting on life too. The one thing we never have enough of is time. Every day take the time to appreciate the little things. Yes, even when the kids are driving you bats, arguing and running around the house. You'll miss that when they're all grown and on their own! (You will have to take my word on that!) Or, you might want to read this blog Never Forget the Love and the Laughter I wrote earlier this month.

One of my favorite things when they were still at home and creating havoc, arguing like crazy I would say, "Hey let's use that energy and make some pizza." My kids love pizza! Instead of arguing still they would get out the recipe and start making the dough from scratch by hand. It never failed to distract them from whatever silliness they had been fighting over.  Instead, they started cooperating with each other and looking forward to that pizza!  Actually, we did too because they made a darn good pizza!   

homemade pizza always good and fun to make!

Don't they look like they never argued in this picture? 

One of my Favorite trips with the cherubs!

Enjoy every day and never fail to let the people you cherish in your life know they are important to you, and they are loved.  If something ever happened to you or them, wouldn't you want them to know the final words between you are "I love you"?

Four Ways to Lose Weight Without Gym

“Eat less, exercise more.” While these wise words incorporate the most universally successful diet plan, there are several things you can do without hitting the gym to help your body fuel more efficiently. Here are four tips that will help you reach your weight goal:

CATCH MORE ZZZ’S – Giving your body a full night’s rest is one of the best ways to shed weight. A recent study showed that when participants slept for only four hours consumed an extra 300 calories compared with when they slept a full eight hours! Sleep deprivation also curbs self-control. Plan ahead and wind down your night in time to provide adequate sleep. Its benefits go far beyond losing weight.

HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE – The human body is mostly water, which is incentive enough to be sure you’re getting the minimum eight glasses a day, but did you know water can help your diet? Drinking water helps to keep you feeling full, meaning less snacking. Downing ice water has the added benefit of boosting your metabolism, burning calories in the process of warming the water. A pre-workout hydration session will help your body release muscle-building hormones – and more muscle means a higher basal metabolic rate. If too much water bores you, look for healthy ways to change it up. A number of companies make flavored waters that are packed with helpful vitamins. Green tea has the added benefit of antioxidants and a metabolism boost that can add up to an extra 400 calories or more per week!

WATCH PORTIONS – Being a conscious eater is a good habit to develop, regardless of dieting. It takes the body 20 minutes after eating to recognize it’s full. By knowing what a serving size should be and sticking to it, you’ll be able to avoid that overfull feeling and give your body the right amount of fuel. Remember, you can always come back for more food if you’re still hungry later. When eating out, where meals are regularly double or triple the size of what your body actually needs, it may be wise to ask for half your order to be boxed up to go – it’s a great way to curb mindless eating AND stretch your delicious dish for two meals.

GET FIT WITH FRIENDS – Take positive peer pressure to the next level by checking in with friends or relatives who are also fitness minded. That healthy support system can help you make wiser lifestyle choices, from choosing more active entertainment options to skipping calorie-laden lunches or happy hours. If IRL (“in real life”) relationships won’t cut it, there are a number of free fitness forums online that provide nutrition information along with peer encouragement, from cyclist Lance Armstrong’s LiveStrong to MyFitnessPal, which recently reported a combined weight loss of 20 million pounds among its membership – simply by counting calories, exercising, and comparing notes.

JPKC....The World As I See It!

Hello world....welcome to the first blog for "JPKC....The World As I See It"!  We are happy you found us.   Come back often and enter into the dialog on life, food, gardening, travel, music, entertainment and other topics. And just maybe, some political views too. In case you're worried about the politics I am totally independent of any political party.  If I had to declare a party it would be the Common Sense Party.

Our goal is to inform, entertain, encourage you to explore the world and all it has to offer and give you food for thought.

Ciao for now!

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