Raige Creations

Wow I haven't blogged since December. Sorry folks. I am still getting used to the whirlwind that work is. It is non-stop from the moment I walk in until I force myself to leave as close to 5pm as I can. Yes, it is difficult to get out of there at 5, after skipping lunch and working straight through. It is so busy, so many different things happening, so exhausting. After December, which was full of vacation days and holidays, I have had to adjust to full work weeks with full staff in office. Mostly this adjustment has been dozing off shortly after dinner, if we actually have dinner..... Yes, some nights we don't have dinner. Just snack. I had carrots and dip one night for dinner. I found we had lots of carrots and hardly ever ate them, so carrots and dip for dinner. Which is a nice lead in to the state of our refrigerator. Let me just say we could not take the smell any longer. Finding the smell was the tough part. Long story short, a full cleaning of the fridge was necessary. T...

I tried. Finally. Had this recipe up for almost a week, vowing to make this delicious concoction of healthy apples and sweet cinnimon, so easy, no dairy so safe for Hubby. I procrastinated, as I am prone to do , and have blogged about many, many times. But finally decided that I would be Miss Accomplishment and bake it before work today. I put on some music, and began the mixing and cutting of apples, wondering why I don't spend more time baking and cooking. It is these simple pleasures that I want to bring more to the forefront of my life. There has been too much negativity, fighting, and just plain unpleasantness going on, yet while I was mixing and cutting to music, it all fell away and I was relaxed and enjoying the process. The apples and cinnamon smelled so good, the apples weren't browning, I stirred often. The wet mixture was ready. Then all that was left was the dry ingredients - and only two of them. I was in the homestretch with time to spare. I p...

I noticed on my walk this morning, that the trees on the mountains are already starting to change color!  Not many, just a few. But as you look at the hills, you see a small pop of yellow here and there. Also, it has become a little too cool for just a tee shirt. I had to dig out a long sleeve to wear this morning. And during the days, it is that in-between kind of temperature where a tee is not quite enough, and a sweatshirt is just a little too much. (okay, I am convinced that hot flashes may be involved in these internal temperature swings, but hubby does not concur) Llamajamas sweater These are sure signs that sweet Summer is leaving us, and Fall is pushing his way right in. And I am starting to think I am the only one mourning this change of season this year. I am reading and hearing how wonderful fall is, how great it is that it here now, super that we get to turn on the wood burning stove, and wear our warm wool-y sweaters.  Well, I for one am going to miss the hec...

Due to the frequency of rain in the area lately, this week's Walking on Wednesday is a wonderful rainy day activity. Baking!  Often, on rainy days, I find myself in the kitchen. I don't have the itchy 'gotta be outside' feeling, and the hubby and kids are always hungry it seems, so baking and cooking are a natural rainy day activity.   On a recent rainy day, I was on a bread making kick. My hubby cannot eat dairy - no butter, milk, cheese. But he loves sweet breads. I searched high and low for a banana bread recipe with no milk or butter. Not easy to find, but I did find one. But how much banana bread can one eat before one gets so tired of banana bread they don't want to see another banana? Not much actually.... So, some experimenting and desire to use up some ingredients, I came up with a recipe for Apple Bread that uses no butter or milk. It is a heavy bread, nice and moist, just the way hubby likes it.   Flour, baking powder, salt mixture Ingredients:...

I have had a terrible week this week as far as allergies go. I still don't know what I am actually allergic to, but Tuesday night and most of Wednesday I was completely suffering more than all year! I took a normally effective medicine, Claritin , but it felt like I took nothing at all. I have tried other medicines, but most make me feel, as they say, foggy or cloudy, but I say like I am swimming in gel. (I hate that feeling!) I complained to anyone who would listen, and found out some interesting things along the way. Many more people suffer from allergies than you think - more than 26 million Americans suffer from seasonal allergies. Allergies also take a toll on mental well-being. Studies have shown that during ragweed season, allergy sufferers often experience a general sense of fatigue — especially mental fatigue — and are more prone to feelings of sadness. People who suffer from allergies also are up to 14 times more likely to experience migraine headaches than those who do...