April, 2014 | Saved By Grace

8 Foods to Indulge in as a Diabetic

April 30, 2024 By Christine 3 Comments

It might surprise you, but diabetes does not mean you have to stay away from all food like it is a poison. There are some really great foods to indulge in as a diabetic and some even help you manage your blood sugar!

8 Foods to Indulge in as a Diabetic

Cinnamon- Cinnamon has some amazing effects on some people when it comes to managing blood sugar. It can actually help you if you eat it daily to keep your numbers in check. So make sure to sprinkle it wherever you can. It tastes great on cereal, in coffee and even just on some fresh fruit.

Oats- If you like oatmeal, you are in luck. While you may not think oats are a good thing to eat as a diabetic, they are actually a great way to start your day because they contain a lot of fiber that helps break down carbs in your system over a longer period and allowing your body to digest them easier.

Greens- While some vegetables can be high in carbs (think corn, squash and potatoes), others are very low in them and like oats, contain a lot of fiber to help you manage your sugar levels. Good choices include spinach and green beans.

Seafood- Salmon and seafood are amazing for a diabetic diet. They contain omega-3’s which are great for heart health. Since many diabetics suffer from heart disease related conditions, it’s a good idea to load up on these meats at meals as they don’t contain hardly any carbs and are high in protein.

Berries- Berries are the best fruit snack you can enjoy as a diabetic because out of all fruits, they contain the fewest amount of carbs and also have a lot of healthy fiber.

Beans- These are carbs, but they are complex carbs so they won’t raise your levels as fast as a piece of bread would. They also are fiber-full and will help your body digest any carbs you eat with them. Beans are great for stretching out meat in meals as well, so they really help budgets.

Plain yogurt- Yogurt contains a good amount of protein to balance out the carbs in it so it can help you stay full longer while controlling your blood sugar levels. This is a great snack mid-morning! Be sure to not get the sweetened kind as it contains a lot of sugar. Instead, if you really hate the taste of plain yogurt, add in some berries.

Avocado- While many people shy away from it, avocado is actually a great fat to have since it contains the heart healthy monounsaturated kind. Plus, it has been shown in some diabetics that a diet with many monounsaturated fats and complex carbs can actually help with management of the disease.

What are some of your favorite foods to indulge in as a diabetic?

Filed Under: Diabetic Lifestyle, Health Tagged With: Diabetes, diabetic foods, diabetic friendly, foods to control blood sugar, foods to eat as a diabetic

What to Stock in Your Natural Medicine Cabinet

April 28, 2024 By Christine 5 Comments

I have not been one to give into holistic medicine until recently. I was one of those folks that would scream, “Those things never work as good as western medicine and are only for hippies!” I took any medication that was thrown at me, suffered for years with side effects (I seem to get them all no matter what) and sometimes found very little or no relief at all from what was ailing me.

I was wrong, and I completely admit it now. I wasted many foolish years taking over the counter and prescription medications for my ailments. Now, I don’t necessarily think the only way to go is natural and homeopathic, and I do think western medicine has a definite time and place, but I have learned that doing things naturally first is often the most gentle and useful way to try to heal myself.

Here are some things I keep in my medicine cabinet that I have found to be most useful as well as cost effective for healing common health troubles. As always, you should consult a Dr. (preferably a western medicine M.D. and a Naturopath) before taking my word for it.

What to Stock in Your Natural Medicine Cabinet

Vitamins C, D and B complex. I am a big believer in these three for preventing illness. Vitamin C helps your immune system stay strong. Vitamin D can help prevent depression and B Complex is good for energy, easing anxiety and can even help lessen the severity of cramps.
As a diabetic, I also take cinnamon (in tablet form). It has been shown to help possibly help to regulate blood sugar.
A neti pot is great for sinus issues. It takes some getting used to, but it can be amazing if you are someone like me that suffers from many sinus infections throughout the year. I find it works better than most over the counter cold medicines without the sleepiness.
Apple Cider Vinegar. I have talked about the many uses of white vinegar before, but apple cider vinegar really is great for a myriad of health issues such as dry skin on feet (as a soak), a toner for skin, and even for tummy troubles.
Honey. Did you know honey can work as a cough suppressant? I have found that it is also very soothing for sore throats. Just swallow a tablespoon of it when the coughing attacks. You can take it as often as needed and kids won’t mind the taste, either.
Coconut oil. Coconut oil has so many uses, I can’t even begin to list them here, but it can be used as an antimicrobial ointment for cuts and scrapes, as a diaper cream and even as a great after-shave or face moisturizer.
Tea Tree Oil. This is also another miracle product that can be used for everything from nail fungus to head lice. It is also amazing for using as a decongestant when applied with a little coconut oil to your chest as you would Vick’s. I also use Tea Tree Oil in my sinus bombs.

What natural products do you keep in your medicine cabinet that you swear by?

* Please note that the information contained in this post and others is for education purposes only and not meant to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent and illness. I am not a medical professional, so please don’t take this information as medical advice but for it’s intended purpose, to educate. Please check with your Doctor before trying any of the remedies or soothers contained here.

Filed Under: Green Living, Health Tagged With: coconut oil, coconut oil uses, green medicine, homopathic remedies, natural remedies

A Pint-Sized Chef

April 25, 2024 By Christine 3 Comments

Chef Jack Witherspoon is not your average chef. Not only is he younger than you expect a chef to be, he is a survivor. Chef Jack Witherspoon is only 14 years old (he just celebrated his birthday last week!) but has been cooking since he was a kindergartener. That in itself is amazing, but what is really amazing is that he has survived leukemia twice. He is currently in his third relapse and continues to cook, his true passion.

Tasteful Selections™, the company I partnered with last year to bring you great recipes like Quick Corn Chowder, is partnering with Chef Jack Witherspoon to create some awesome recipes using their bite-sized potatoes and support his cause; his permanent endowment at the Miller Children’s Hospital where he is the spokesman for the Beckstrand Foundation. The Beckstrand Foundation is a great organization that helps families pay their bills when they get cancer treatment. It is there to make them feel less stress so they can focus on healing.

Tasteful Selections™ is helping Chef Jack by teaming up with him to create some awesome recipes using their delicious bite-sized potatoes that they will promote on their website in order to bring attention to Chef Jack’s Book, “Twist it Up”. A portion of the proceeds from the book support his cause.

This is why I find it so important to support great companies like Tasteful Selections™. People matter to them. Business is not just what they can get, but what they can do for others. For more recipes from Chef Jack as well as Tasteful Selections™, make sure to check out the Tasteful Selections™ website.

Filed Under: Food, Giveaways

Smart Buys & Things to Skip on Amazon

April 23, 2024 By Christine 4 Comments

Amazon is a great place to shop online as it offers virtually any and everything you could ever want, need and even desire. There are some things on Amazon that are amazing deals and others that are really better bought somewhere else. Don’t give up on brick and mortar stores just yet! Here is a sampling of some of the best and worst stuff to buy on Amazon.

Smart Buy and Things to Skip on Amazon

Smart Buys:

Books and E-Books. Not only can you often get free e-books, but you can get very low priced physical books as well. I have seen hundreds of books priced at a penny before. And shipping is often just a couple dollars so for a used book in great condition, you can get it for 75-90% off the cover price on Amazon. If you are looking for free e books, make sure to check out my weekly updated Free E-Book posts.

Diapers. You can buy “open box” diapers at great discounts on Amazon. These are boxes of diapers that were opened on accident or damaged but are still in usable condition. They are not something you can always find as it is just chance that they are posted, but since they are on there frequently keep an eye out and snatch them up quickly as they tend to go fast when they are posted. Finding them is as simple as filtering results. Simply search with the key words “Open box diapers”. Be willing to change brands though as you won’t necessarily get the brand you were looking for every time.

Gluten free and specialty foods. You will find a way bigger selection of specialty foods, such as Gluten Free Baking Mix on Amazon than at any local grocery store. The buys are usually in bulk, though, so be sure you can use them up in time.

Auto Parts. Amazon has a section called “Auto Shop” and you can find nearly every part you would need for a car including aftermarket and used parts that are hard to find. You will usually get them much cheaper than your mechanic will charge you for them and then you will only have to pay for the labor portion of your repair after you buy what you need. For instance, this FRAM Air filter would be twice this price or more if you asked to have it changed at your next oil change.

Things to Skip:

Cleaning supplies. These might seem like a great deal, especially if you subscribe to them through Amazon prime, but if you look at the unit price, they are strangely way over priced even with free 2-day shipping. You are better off couponing for them at your local store.

Regular groceries. Not only will you not get the freshest if it is perishable, but since everything is on bulk, you will get trapped into buying more than you will probably reasonably use.

Home Furnishings and tools- Furniture is something that is best bought after seeing in person and while the deals can be OK on Amazon regarding furniture, you won’t know if you truly like it until you have seen it or put it together and it can be nearly impossible to return. Tools, like furniture, is something you should examine with your eyes before you buy so you know if it is exactly what you need for the job.

Single movies or episodes of TV Shows. If you are just going to buy one here and there, it can add up really fast and you might be better off buying the entire season of a favorite TV show or subscribing to Netflix. Amazon Prime does allow you to do a streaming service, but it only allows you to pay by the year. With Amazon Prime, you can also get free 2 day shipping on most Amazon shipped products as a bonus! Get a free 30 day trial just for signing up.

What is your favorite thing to buy on Amazon? Where have you gone wrong with a purchase? Let me know in the comments!

Filed Under: Frugal Living Tagged With: amazon auto shop, amazon.com, deals on amazon, smart buys on amazon, stuff you shouldn't by on amazon. amazon

Spicy Teriyaki Bowls

April 17, 2024 By Christine 21 Comments

It wasn’t too long ago that I disliked spicy foods. I think this was just the picky kid in me that carried on into adulthood. I would turn my nose up to the idea of anything with any kick to it. I had sadly convinced myself that I didn’t like anything spicy.

I am so glad I decided to give spiciness a try again because now, I am almost obsessed with making things spicier if I can. That;s how I came up with this recipe. Since adding heat is a new cooking concept for me, I am having fun expirimenting with new ways to add it that make sense and have the favors come together for an amazing dish.

This recipe was made with Zaycon Food’s chicken thighs. I have to say, the quality of thier meat really makes me feel inspired to cook! It’s fresh and has just the right price. I am not too much of a dark meat fan, but I have to admit, if I get it from Zaycon, I am! To find out more about Zaycon Foods and thier current events and prices, make sure you check out thier website.

5.0 from 4 reviews

Spicy Teriyaki Bowls

Author: Christine Tolhurst

Cuisine: Asian

Ingredients

2 Lbs Zaycon Foods Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
1 Head of fresh brocolli
1 Small can of Bamboo Shoots
1 Pint of slice Mushrooms, any kind
1 Cup Soy Sauce
2½ Tbsp Honey
¼ Cup Rice Vinegar
1 Tsp Minced Garlic
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1½ Tsp oil
1½ Tbsp Sriracha
2 Tbsp Cornstarch
¼ Cup water

Instructions

Start by cutting your Zaycon Foods Chicken Thighs into strips. Place them in a saute pan with a small amount of oil to brown.
In a separate pot, start adding together the soy sauce, minced garlic, and rice vinegar and bring to a simmer.
Cut up your broccoli into bite sized florets and steam it.
When your chicken is browned, add in your mushrooms and saute them.
Add your brown sugar, honey, ginger and Sriracha to the sauce.
To thicken it, mix the cornstarch and the water together in a bowl and whisk it into the sauce.
Add in your broccoli and drained bamboo shoots to the pan with the chicken and mushrooms and lightly toss.
You can either add your sauce to the pan or just pour it on. Serve over rice.

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This post was sponsored in part by Zaycon Foods. All opinions expressed are my own. I only partner with companies I can fully support and Zaycon is top notch!

Filed Under: Dinner Recipes, Food, Lunch Recipes, Money Saving Meals, Recipes Tagged With: chicken teriyaki, rice bowl, spicy tteriyaki sauce, zaycon foods

Pasta With Creamy Gorgonzola Sauce

April 17, 2024 By Christine 5 Comments

I think my deep love for all things cheese is pretty well know. I mean, take a look around my blog.

I also love making soups and sauces. I think any dish can go from blah to amazing with the rigfht kind of sauce to top it off. Being that I am diabetic, pasta is not usually a good idea, but I do occasionally cheat on my diet although I still watch my carbs, I just do it a little less strickly on those days. To be honest, it keeps me sane. I tried being extremely tight on my diet and found that it caused me to constantly sneak “bad” foods in when no one was playing the food police. I do suggest, though, that you discuss any changes you want to make with your Dr.

Onto the cheese!

This dish was inspired by an alfredo sauce I make (that I will one day post on here, I promise!) as well as a dish I really liked back home in Montana from a place I used to work at and eat at. I hope you like it! Feel free to top your pasta with the sauce alone or add in sauteed mushrooms and chicken as I did. I happen to think this would taste amazing over some steak as well!

Pasta with Creamy Gorgonzola Sauce

5.0 from 1 reviews

Pasta With Creamy Gorgonzola Sauce

Author: Christine Tolhurst

Recipe type: Sauce

Ingredients

1 Pint Heavy Whipping Cream
1 Cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
¾ Cup Romano Cheese, powder
½ tsp. White Pepper
1 Pinch of Salt
1 Pinch of Ground Nutmeg
For Roux:
½ Cup Butter, unsalted
½ Cup white Flour

Instructions

Start by melting the butter in the saucepan over medium heat. When it is melted, add your flour in small amounts, whisking it in. It should resemble wet sand. This is your roux (pronounced "rew").
Slowly, pour in your whipping cream, while whisking it. You want to do this because otherwise you will end up with chunks of flour in your sauce.
All this to come to a simmer and add your Romano cheese. Mix well until it is melted.
Add in your Gorgonzola cheese and whisk well to incorporate it in.
Sprinkle your white pepper, salt and ground nutmeg in. Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes, keeping an eye on it so it does not scorch.
Top your pasta with any of the topping you like (I sauteed some chicken breast and mushrooms together) and pour the sauce on. Add a sprinkling of crumbled Gorgonzola cheese to finish.

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Filed Under: Dinner Recipes, Food, Recipes Tagged With: bechemel, cheese saice, cream sauce, creamy sauce, gorganzola cheese, roux

How to Save Money on Diabetic Testing Supplies

April 16, 2024 By Christine 1 Comment

If you are newly diagnosed with diabetes, you might be floored at how much it costs to test your blood sugar. I have seen strips costing as much as $2 a test and if you are like me and must test 3-4 times day, this adds up to quite a lot over the course of a month. The good news is, there are some ways you can cut costs of this diabetic expense.

How To Save Money on Diabetic Testing Supplies

Purchase in bulk online. When I was first diagnosed, I used to buy a lot of my supplies on eBay. The only problem I found was some sellers were less than truthful about the condition of the supplies and expiration dates. I do not recommend buying from eBay for this reason. However, you can often get some great deals on diabetic test strips from Amazon. Some as low as $5.

Visit your diabetic care Dr or Pharmacy and ask if they have any free diabetes magazines. These are often published quarterly by companies in the diabetic care industry and usually include valuable coupons.

Look for coupons in the newspaper and combine them with savings at the pharmacy. You can often get free meters if you know where to look as well as heavily discounted supplies like test strips, lancets and lancing devices as well as glucose shots and tabs.

Ask your Dr to prescribe you test strips. It may seem obvious, but if you have insurance, test strips may be completely or mostly covered but only if they are prescribed by your doctor. Just because they are available over the counter does not mean insurance won’t cover them.

Ask your diabetes educator, nurse or doctor for samples from drug companies. Often, they will have free meters and test strips you can have occasionally.

Look for local charities in your area that collect unused diabetic supplies for those in need. You may be able to get them free through a local agency.

Don’t be tricked into getting a cheap meter with expensive strips. This was a mistake I made at first. I thought since the meter was cheap, the test strips must also be. Unfortunately, I found this to be absolutely false in most cases unless I went with an off brand like Walmart’s Reli-on.

Ask the company who makes your meter and test strips about possible deduction programs. Many of them now offer programs that allow users to pay very little out of pocket expenses on testing supplies at the pharmacy. It never hurts to ask if the company you use has such a program.

What are some ways you save on your diabetic testing supplies?

Filed Under: Diabetic Lifestyle, Health Tagged With: Diabetes, diabetic supplies, diabetic testing supplies, how to save money on diabetic testing supplies, where to get cheap test strips

How Social Networking Can Save You Money

April 14, 2024 By Christine Leave a Comment

It’s amazing how technology changes and fads come into the spotlight. Social media is here to stay and because of this, many businesses are taking advantage of it to help promote their products. This is a great thing for those of us that are wanting to save money. Since I am a blogger, I spend a lot of time online and I have been amazed at ways I can save simply by following some of my favorite brands. Here are my tips for using social media to save money.

How Social Networking Can Save You Money

Follow you favorite brands and check in frequently. With the algorithm of Facebook ever-changing, you might not realize it, but brands you have “liked” in the past may not be showing up in your newsfeed anymore. In order to make sure they do, go to the brand’s page and in the corner next to the “like” button, click on “add to interests”. This will make it more likely that the brand’s statuses show up in your newsfeed. Then, you won’t miss a coupon or deal they post!

Be on the lookout for “deals” posted on Facebook. Facebook allows companies to run deals on their Facebook pages that allow consumers and fans to get a discount or free product. You will usually see them floating around your timeline or pinned to the top of the company’s Facebook page. I have gotten salon manicure for $10 as well as numerous free samples, full sized products and discounts.

Join forums and groups. You can join many groups on Facebook that can help you save money directly or indirectly. For instance, if you are new to couponing, search for local coupon groups in your area by typing in the name of you city/town and “couponing” or “couponers”. There, you can meet with like-minded people who will share deals as they come up.

Follow blogs. You will want to follow deal and frugal living blogs on social media in order to get the newest coupons, free samples, giveaways and tips for a frugal living lifestyle.

Know how to use hashtags. Hashtags (#) are Twitter’s way of categorizing things and it is the most effective way to search for things. Facebook now uses them as well. To find coupons or special promotions, simple search #coupon or #(brandname)coupon. You should be able to find what you are looking for as well as some things you didn’t even know where available.

Buy and sell on social media for some great deals. Facebook is a great place to find online yard sale type places. You just search the groups and find some in your area. You might even have some groups that are local that have free stuff. If there are none in your area, why not start one?

Get immediate customer service help. It used to be that you had to email, call or even write companies for help with a serious problem. Now, social media allows you to reach out and in many cases, get immediate assistance. If you are having a hard time getting your money back on a defective product or had a terrible (or great!) customer service issue, reach out on the company’s social media pages to get faster help. Be aware, though, it may take longer if it’s a weekend as many companies only have social media managers on staff during the work week.

What are some ways social media and social networking have saved you money? I would love to know your secrets!

Filed Under: Frugal Living, My Blog Tagged With: facebook, how to save money, saving money on social media, social media, social networks, twitter

Tips for Saving Money At The Laundromat

April 12, 2024 By Christine 2 Comments

While many of us have a washer and dryer at home, some of us have to venture to the laundry mat and this can get quite expensive. If your family size is large or small, you can take advantage of many of the money saving tips below.

How To Save Money At The Laundromat

First and foremost, shop around. If you are lucky enough to live in an area that has many choices in places to go, shop around and find one that has the lowest prices. While many are very close in price, there can be vast differences. Of course, you won’t wanna get one that will be too far from your home or what you save will be eaten up by how much gas you spend to get your laundry there.

Find out the perks of the place you wash at and take advantage of them. Many Laundromats offer frequent user cards that give you free washes or dry time after so much spent. This can be a simple punch card or a points value card. Many laundromats also offer free soap.

Make your own detergents. There is no need to buy the small, one time use soaps sold at many Laundromats. Also, no need to haul heavy containers of soap that you bought. Simply make a large portion of soap and keep it in a 5 gallon bucket. When you head to the Laundromat, just take what you need in a small container. Making your own detergent is simple and allows you to only pay pennies per load. You can also make your own fabric softener.

During warmer months, take your clothes home to dry on the line if possible. Not only will they smell wonderful, but you will spend 30-40% less on doing your clothes.

Only wash full loads and pick the right size. When paying to do your laundry, it is very important to make sure each load is filled to capacity so you get the most bang for your buck. If you only have small loads, try to see if you can find a friend to go in with and share the cost.

Wash what you can by hand and dry on low temp at the Laundromat. This includes bras, delicates and some things that are labeled “Dry Clean Only”. Dry clean only is often not necessary with many items. These items often just require gentle care and low dry temps.

Keep a good eye on what actually needs to be washed and what just got thrown in the mix. Washing clothing that is not really that dirty or isn’t dirty at all will leave you spending money that you don’t need to.

Wear clothes more than one time to avoid having to wash them as frequently. Most clothing items (other than underclothes such as underwear) can be worn many times before it actually needs to be thrown in the washer. Wearing things more than once will ensure you spend less.

Use less soap. You may think you need a lot, but most laundry facilities have soft water, so you usually need to use less than if you were doing it at home. This could mean you are using more than twice the amount needed if you aren’t careful.

As a last ditch effort, consider getting rid of some of your clothing. If you own less, you will need to wash less.

Filed Under: Frugal Living Tagged With: clothes, how to save at the laundry mat, how to save money at the laundromat, how to save money on laundry, washer and dryer

West-Mex Taco ‘Cupcakes’

April 10, 2024 By Christine 4 Comments

When I told my daughter we having Taco Cupcakes for dinner, she scrunched up her nose and said, “Huh..what?”

My family’s favorite meals often include something in the category of West-Mex or Italian. Good thing both of those categories often include cheese. I have to say, that is my biggest weakness.

Being that I am busy and trying to live a lower carb lifestyle, it often means I have to really think on it to modify recipes to make sure they fit into the fast and semi-healthy category. I chose to modify traditional tacos this way because wonton wrappers are easy to use in this recipe and allow me to get the crunch I crave from nachos without too many carbs. In the brand I used, there were 31g carbs in 8 wraps. Each ‘cupcake’ has 2 wraps, so this means I could eat up to 4 of them to stay in my carb range of 35g per meal as the rest of the fillings has very little carbs and is high is fiber as well as protein. I really could only get through 3, barely. They are very filling.

I used Zaycon Foods Ground beef in this recipe. I usually am not a big fan of ground beef, but I am being 100% honest when I say I love the beef that comes from Zaycon Foods. It is deep red in color, lean and has a great taste. Plus, it’s “pink slime”-free! You can’t really beat the price either. It is $3.49 a lb because it comes in bulk. For a great company that allows consumers to get fresh, never frozen all-natural meat directly from the farmers off their trucks, I can’t imagine a better price for it and I feel good feeding it to my family!

West-Mex Taco 'Cupcakes'

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

Author: Christine Tolhurst

Recipe type: Dinner

Cuisine: West Mex

Serves: 5-6

Ingredients

1 lb of Zaycon Foods Ground Beef
1 Can of Low-fat Re-fried beans
1 Packet of Taco Seasoning
¼ Cup of Water
32 Square Wonton Wrappers
1 Can of Black Beans
1½ Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Taco toppings of your choice such as green onions, salsa, tomatoes, lettuce

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Start by browning your Zaycon Foods Ground beef in a large skillet.
While that cooks, prep your muffin tins. Spray non-stick spray into each cup and layer 2 wonton wrappers in each one to mostly cover the cup. Make sure to press them in slightly.
When the beef is browned, add a can of re-fried beans to the skillet and mix well to form a kind of paste.
Drain the black beans and rinse in a strainer to get rid of the starch on them.
Open your packet of taco seasoning and sprinkle on top of the bean/beef mix. Add a ¼ cup of water to it and stir well.
Using heaping tablespoons, fill each cup with the mixture. Top with black beans and then cheese and place in the oven.
Watch them closely as they really do cook very fast. It shouldn't take longer than 10 minutes in the oven. They are done when the edges of the wonton wrappers are brown and the cheese is melted.
Remove from muffin pan with a fork and top with sour cream and your favorite toppings.