New Changes

       As you can see I have changed the title and url of my blog. I did that because I need new changes in my life, but don't worry, I will still be blogging about healthy foods and ways here and there. I know I have not been posting weekly or monthly because I have been busy with school, and a lot of times it just slips my mind. I am apologizing for that and I hope you will love my future posts! 

P.S. I will be posting about what I am making for Christmas and after New Years I will be posting what I did for Christmas and New Years. The holiday post will come with pictures! 

Halloween Treats

Partying with your friends and family? Here are some good ideas for treats at the Halloween party! 

These are fun and festive treats everyone will love! I have seen these at parties before. Unique ideas for parties are great conversation starters! You will have fun making them and eating them while you party! 

1. Cookies                                           

2. Cupcakes              

  3. Pumpkin Pie 

           4. Halloween Candy                      

 5. Jello Shots                                      

6. Pretzel Spiders                           

 7. Meringue Ghosts 

*Photos were found on google. 

Olde Hikory Tap Room

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The Olde Hickory Tap Room has been in Union Square in downtown Hickory, North Carolina for probably  over 20 years. They make their own beer and all the food is from their own recipes. People who come to the tap room a lot have their own beer mugs that hang at the bar.

The food is extremely fresh. It's pretty much a pub. I just went there for the second time in my life (I know pretty bad because I live in Hickory and don't eat out much) and had ordered a portabella mushroom burger with their pub fries. Everything on my plate was extremely fresh and flavorful! The best non-meat burger I have ever had.

The two reasons I don't go there much is because they are always packed and I don't eat out much. If you are ever near Hickory, NC go check out the tap room because you will enjoy the history of downtown and the great food. You might even spot me somewhere downtown. There are great stores to visit as well.

Click on the link underneath the picture at the top to learn more about their great food, history, beer, and entertainment! 

Top Three Places To Get Fresh Food

There are many places near you to get fresh food. This post is about the top three places. The three places are farmers markets, produce stands, and your own garden! Buying food that has grown near by is more fresh and better tasting. Now, growing your own fruits and vegetables is different. When you grow your own you appreciate it more and it is the freshest you can get. You can find produce stands on the sides of roads every where!

Farmers markets are pretty much in every town and city. If you don't know where to find you local farmers market just ask around. You will get a great bargain on fruits and vegetables. Most of the time farmers markets are downtown.

Produce stands are piratically everywhere. You will see them on the sides of main roads, parking lots, and even back roads. There are normally signs before you actually see the produce stand and those signs will say a specific fruit or vegetable on them.






Having your own garden is the best I think. I actually have tomatoes and different peppers growing in the back yard. Next year I want to grow some purple Cherokee heirloom tomatoes. It is cheap, tastes better, you appreciate it more, all natural, and organic! One problem is if you are busy and does not ever have much time to water plants and feed plant then having your own garden would not be a good idea.

Planning for Holidays

I'm planning out things to cook and bake for the holidays early. It's good to plan early so you will not be frantic when it is closer.

For Halloween I am baking cupcakes. For thanks giving I will help my mom with the turkey and I will probably do a pecan pie. For Christmas I will be cooking a maple glazed stuffed roast pork and a peppermint and chocolate torte.

Try to find great recipes to cook for the holidays. If there is ever an ingredient that you do not Luke in a recipe you can always substitute it with something else or just take it out.

The Martha Washington Cook Book

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Yesterday I received a cook book in the mail that I bought a week ago. It is the Martha Washington Cook Book! 

This book has be out of print for a long time and the last time it was printed was in 2004. The company had a contract say that after the specific number of copies had been printed they could no longer print it. The author Marie Kimball was allowed to study Marth Washington's cook book that was donated by her descendants in the mid to late 1800's to a museum. Marie Kimball used 200 recipes from Martha's cook book and shared information that was new to the world in 1940. 

This cook book shares information that was unknown for a long time about Martha. Martha actually supervised everything that was cooked in Mount Vernon and the "White Houses" in New York and Philadelphia. Every dish she supervised came from her cook book that was given to her from a relative when she was married to her first husband Daniel Parke Custis. After her first husband died later she married Gen. George Washington. When she grew older she passed down the cook book to her daughter and then so on until it was donated to a museum. 

If you want to learn more or buy the book please click on the link below the picture above. (There is a limited amount of books) 

Paula Deen's Weight loss

I was amazed when I read about Paula Deen's weight loss in people magazine! I am proud of her after many years of watching her cook and eat very unhealthy food she has finally changed her life around. I started watching her sons cooking shows (Jamie and Bobby Deen) and they were using her recipes but making them healthier. Her sons have changed the way they eat and now she has changed the way she eats!

Paula and her sons have inspired me and motivated me on changing my eating and workout habits. For years I have collected her recipes but I have never actually cooked them because I was so afraid of eating something that unhealthy. Now her sons have changed her recipes and I am definitely going to use them. I do workout and eat better than I did before a year ago but it is not good enough and I am going to do 100% better!

She was in denial about her type two diabetes but now she has done something to increase her health. Some people say that 30 lbs. isn't good enough but what they don't know is that is EXTREMELY well! She went from a size 18 to a size 10 and she is still working on her weight loss.  It is great after so many years to see she is finally getting healthy. I have always felt like her family was my family because they are so humble!

Anyone who has had a problem with weight and loves to cook and eat (me) should read about her weight loss and try some of her new healthier recipes. She inspired and motivated me and if you read about it you will definitely feel the same way!