Author: Lori

Hi There... I'm Lori and I want to welcome you to the Z Life Homestead Lifestyle Blog. I hope you enjoy visiting with me and the Z Man as we make our way through this wonderful life. You'll see things we love, and things we don't. You'll get to laugh with us and more often than not you will probably laugh at us. That's what WE do, we Live, Laugh and Love. :)

30 Days, Done!

30 days of no wine, DONE!  I’m so happy and glad that I did this.  So much so, that I think I’m gonna keep it up.   I think wine consumption will be for special times, not just because It’s 5:00.

This is what the past 30 days brought me.

  1.  Well, it goes without saying that there was some serious money saved in the past 30 days.  $275.00   Yep, isn’t that crazy?!  I mean, think about $275 a month for 12 months… that’s $3,300.  That’s a chunk of change for sure.
  2. The Z Man and I decided to invest the wine savings into our health and purchased a Nordictrack treadmill.
  3. I’m sleeping much better.  I suppose not pouring myself in between the sheets each night allows for a good night sleep and not to mention a more pleasant morning.
  4. I really don’t miss it.  Not like I was during the first week.  Actually, I don’t even give it much thought now.

Like I said, I’m really glad that I took some time for self-reflection.  I’m glad that I did a little self check for myself.  Even if the original plan to abstain from wine for 30 days was more for frugal reasons, I have to admit that it was good for me.

Take care!

Lori

Rainbow

 

Clam Chowder, YUM!

Clam Chowder

So good and so easy to make…

  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 stalks of celery, chopped
  • 4 medium size potatoes, chopped
  • 2 – 8 oz. bottles of clam juice
  • 2 cups of whole milk
  • 2 – 10 oz. cans of clams
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp of dried thyme
  • S&P to taste

In large pot, saute onion and celery in olive oil ( I use leftover bacon grease and olive oil) add potatoes and saute for 2 or 3 minutes more.  Add clam juice and let simmer (covered) for 7 – 10 minutes.  Add milk, clams, bay leaves, and thyme and turn heat down to a very low simmer for about 15 minutes.  S&P to taste.  (If I want to make the chowder a little thicker I’ll add a Tbsp of masa corn flour when I add the milk and stir well)

I love that this big pot of soup cost me about $12.00 and it makes 5 large servings.  Or more like 1 dinner and 2 lunches for the Z Man and me.  Because it’s SOOOOO good!!!

Enjoy!

Lori

Week Three, Done! And a Funny!

Week three is done.  Thanks to 10 days of the flu for the Z Man and I, I had no trouble abstaining from wine.   But, week three is done and I’m glad the flu is done too!

My husband, the Z Man is absolutely hands down the funniest person I know, or have ever known.  It’s “one” of the reasons I fell madly in love with him.  I don’t remember a day that he has not made me smile.  It just comes natural for him to find the lighter side of life and that is a beautiful quality.

Since I’ve been taking a break from wine, I’ve been finding different beverages to sip on, like the grape juice spritzer.  And, here lately, I’ve been sipping on a cup of chamomile tea before bed.

Last night I asked the Z Man if he would like a cup of chamomile tea, and his response was…

No, I don’t want any “camel milk”

REALLY?  SERIOUSLY???  I couldn’t stop laughing.

He honestly thought I was drinking camel milk.

Now, to his credit, I have brought some crazy things into our kitchen in the past.  But, he was not going to partake of any camel milk, NO WAY!

At least now I know where he draws the line.

Take care,

Lori

Week Two, Done!

It’s been two full weeks of taking my break from wine.  So far, this is what I’ve experienced.

The first week:

  1. I had a dull headache for the first 3 or 4 days.
  2. I drank just as many grape juice spritzers each evening as I did glasses of wine.
  3. Even my, oh let’s call it “bathroom time” was minimal at best and very uncomfortable for about a week.
  4. I had bad dreams almost every night.
  5. And, every day around 4:00 in the afternoon I would become a bit sad.

The second week:

  1. I noticed two beautiful sunrises, and thought to myself, “hey I noticed those and smiled”
  2. I cut back on the grape juice spritzers.
  3. “Bathroom time” became a bit more regular, thank GOD!
  4. Sleep got a little easier, with the help of some chamomile tea
  5. The 4:00 hour became a little easier
  6. The weekends felt a little longer, but if I’m being honest perhaps a bit boring too.
  7. My week at work was more pleasant in some weird way.
  8. I’m smoking less (go figure!)  of course that could be because it’s cold as crap and I don’t want to go outside!

That’s it….  that’s where I am now.  My 30 days ends on February 14th.   I KNOW RIGHT!!!  Valentines Day.  I don’t know how I feel about that yet, we’ll see.

All in all, I’m still feeling pretty good about it.

Take care,

Lori