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I've never been one for working out. I played some sports growing up and occasionally get on an exercise kick, but it has never stuck. Once I was in a 6 week yogalates class that I loved, but for some reason I didn't take it again. Maybe it was too hard with the kids or maybe it no longer fit my schedule. Whatever the reason, I wasn't consistent with my exercise routine.
Because of my history with sticking with an exercise routine (or lack thereof), I don't want to set myself up to fail with unrealistic expectations. Instead, I want to celebrate the moments that make me feel strong. I came up with this idea a couple of weeks ago while pushing a stroller up steep inclines on a mile long hike on an animal adventure trail at a birthday party. I felt inspired by the hard work I was doing pushing through rough terrane and came up with the idea of using #summerofstrong to celebrate and document these moments that make us feel STRONG, like we can do anything. I hope that I can inspire you too, to share your strong moments on instagram, facebook, or twitter with the #summerofstrong. I'll look for your posts and like or share them too. I'll share mine too which will help me celebrate my strength too and maybe even motivate me to do a little more. 
The best part of celebrating our strong moments is these are just moments. No pressure to do anything complicated. Do one plank, or ten sit-ups, or race your child to the nearest tree in your yard. Another bonus to these little spurts of activity is encouraging your kids to be more active and spending more time with your kids.
My nine month old loves it when I lift him up in the air so we have been doing these baby lifts for a while. I have actually noticed my arms getting stronger from all of the lifting. Since we have been doing it for so long, as he gets heavier I can still lift him up because I have built up strength over time.
Don't be deceived and think that I do yoga all of the time. It's actually pretty rare that I do anything this structured, but I do really enjoy it when I take the time to do it. Getting started is always the hard part. I did a 10 minute yoga segment from a video a couple of weeks ago and thought this picture was cute with my 9 month old. I love how his fingers are spread out like he is going into a yoga pose.
So let's work together on this. Join me with #summerofstrong and show me your strong smiling faces. And don't worry about having perfect pictures. My photographers are kids as I'm sure many of yours will be too. This is real life and I want to celebrate you hardworking moms, dads, grandparents, and anyone who wants to get stronger. Let's do this together! Show me your STRONG! 
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Linking up at Dream, Create, Inspire, Share the Wealth
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I follow another foodie blog, Our Best Bites, who occasionally posts flashback friday posts when they update photos on old posts. Since I have some old posts in need of updating, I thought it would be fun to do the same thing.
You may have seen my recent post, Turkey Avocado Wraps, well here is another yummy dish made from leftover turkey. Enjoy this delicious Turkey Noodle Soup!
Linking up at Friendship Friday
This might be hard to believe since it is now getting into the low 90's in these parts, but I roasted a turkey the other day. We have had one in our freezer for a while taking up lots of valuable real estate so I decided it was time. I gave it a nice dry brine rub-down and let it marinate overnight (recipe on the way) and roasted it the next day. It was amazing! I made it the same way last Thanksgiving and will never go back to a liquid brine again. It tastes so much better when dry brined. We're talking juicy moist and perfectly seasoned plus it is much easier to handle (than a heavy liquid brine).
Of course the bonus of roasting a turkey in warm weather is all of the delicious leftover cold turkey. Sandwiches, salads, wraps...YUM! And of course the carcass can be saved for a hearty and healthy turkey noodle soup. But if you're not feeling the soup vibes in June, you can always freeze the carcass for fall. Although that throws our making room in the freezer reason for making the turkey in the first place out the window doesn't it? Good thing we have a deep freezer!
Don't these look delicious? I could eat turkey avocado wraps every day in this weather. Cool, crisp, with tender roasted turkey and creamy guacamole spread = YUM!
First I get everything ready. If you happen to have leftover roast turkey... Awesome! If not, you can find some good turkey in the deli or in the lunch meat section of your grocery store. I have been on a romaine kick lately, but you could use any lettuce you like. Romaine does have a nice crisp to it which works well for these wraps. I also bought some nice cucumbers at the farmer's market last weekend and they added a lovely fresh crisp to the wraps. I cut the cucumber in half then cut the half lengthwise into thin strips so that they would lay nicely. My wraps were small, but if you have large wraps, you may not need to halve your cucumber. I also cut some lime into wedges to add lime juice to the avocado.
Next make some guacamole. I like it really simple...mashed avocado, fresh squeezed lime juice, and fresh ground salt (pink himalayan salt is my fave). I use a potato masher, but you can also just use a fork. For more detailed instructions for making guacamole go here.
Then spread some guacamole on the tortilla.
Next press a big romaine leaf onto the guacamole. I tore mine in half since my tortillas were small.
Next layer on cucumber and turkey. Then roll it up to make a wrap. If you like, cut the wraps in half or keep them long.
Ingredients:
tortillas avocado (1-2 depending on how many wraps you make) lime salt romaine lettuce cucumber leftover turkey 1. Prepare ingredients; wash vegetables, slice cucumbers etc. 2. Mash avocado and add lime juice and salt to taste to make guacamole. 3. Spread guacamole on tortilla. 4. Press lettuce leaf into guacamole. 5. Add turkey and cucumber slices 6. Roll up to form wrap and slice in half to serve. 
Here are some things you might like including the very inexpensive potato masher that I use all the time.
What are your kids doing this Summer? For many of us Summer time with the kids is a time to enjoy the outdoors, the sunshine and if you're lucky the ocean. As much as kids love Summer holidays, keeping them busy can be a challenging! If you've not got the luxury of a Summer camp then it's up to you as parent to find things to keep them busy. 
Failing that, your kids might spend all their time in front of a computer, tablet, phone or other screen and research has shown that spending too much time in front of a screen can have a detrimental effect on the health and wellbeing of children. Studies have shown that taking part in nature-based activities helps people who are suffering with mental health problems and can contribute to a reduction in levels of anxiety, stress, and depression. In fact, a daily walk in nature has shown decreased activity in a region of the brain associated with a key factor in depression. One in four people are estimated to experience bouts of mental health problems and it's on the rise. Prescription medications of antidepressants are also at a record high level and the demand for more invasive treatments are also on the rise. Health officials are examining different options for cost effective services for mental health sufferers and one of these options is a daily walk of 90 minutes or more. Let's go back to a time when children got excited to spend their time climbing trees and building forts rather than spending hours in front of the tv.
Joe at Nature Rated understands this all too well and has put together an infographic of 15 Summer activities to get your kids outside enjoying nature.
This is what it looks like:
From baking a blackberry pie to constructing a pond or insect hotel, there's plenty for the youngsters to do. Head on over to his site for step by step instructions to get your kids outside and into nature. Thank you Joe for guest posting. An outdoor enthusiast, Joe is the lead editor at Nature Rated; a website which rates and reviews the best outdoor gear for people who quickly want to know what to buy. He believes in no fluff, to the point reviews, which help you choose the right gear for your next adventure. Whenever daily life gets him down he heads to the nearest lake or river with his kayak and camera spending time recharging his batteries.
We are trying to raise our boys to explore, create, and use their imaginations so their screen time is very limited. I love these ideas to get kids outside. We also want our kids to have a good work ethic and a great way to instill this is to let them help with outside chores and projects.
The boys helped clean the overgrown mint out the flower beds to make room for perennials. They have also been working hard in the community garden this summer.
Watch this cute video of the boys showing off their catch, which we did cook for dinner.
The boys love to go fishing and have already been twice this summer. Luckily we live close to the lakes and their Dad likes taking them. Fishing is fun, but just being outside at the lake is fun too. They could spend hours looking at rocks, shells, and exploring trails. What are your favorite ways to get your kids outside?
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As a busy mother of four I rely heavily on simple meals, especially during t-ball season. Most of our games are at night which makes getting dinner on the table quickly a must. We love brats and sauteed mushrooms and onions so I put the two together for a delicious, quick, and easy meal.
We enjoy these brats without buns, cutting them up and eating them with the yummy caramelized onions and mushrooms. The boys love applesauce so I serve this meal with store bought unsweetened applesauce or this yummy homemade version.
Since brats are not pre-cooked, I simmer them in beer for about 12 minutes to let them cook through. I used non-alcoholic beer which I purchased since it is less expensive and we aren't beer drinkers. I just like to have it on hand for cooking. You can also use water instead of beer.
While the brats are cooking, I saute the onions and mushrooms in a little oil in a skillet. I used a large package of whole mushrooms and sliced them myself. I always feel like they are fresher if I slice them myself. I recently found some walnut oil on sale at the grocery store and thought it would be fun to try. It worked well for this recipe. Walnut oil is also a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids and antioxidants. You can also use olive oil, coconut oil, or another favorite oil.
While cooking the vegetables, I add a pat or two of butter for flavor and salt and pepper to taste. I love fresh ground pink himalayan salt and fresh ground pepper and use them in most of my cooking. Once the vegetables are tender and lightly browned, I scoot them over to the side of the skillet and brown the sausages on each side until they have a beautiful golden brown sear. I then redistribute the veggies and place the sausages on top for a beautiful presentation. 
Ingredients:
1 lb. brats 1 sweet onion, cut into thin wedges 8 oz. or more fresh mushrooms, sliced Walnut, olive, or another oil of choice Butter, optional 1 bottle or can of beer, optional Fresh ground salt and pepper 1. Simmer brats in beer or water for about 12 minutes to cook through. 2. Meanwhile, saute onions and mushrooms in a drizzle of walnut or olive oil in another skillet. Add a little butter, salt and pepper to taste. 3. Once the vegetables are tender and lightly browned, scoot them over to the side of the skillet and brown the sausages on each side until they have a beautiful golden brown sear. Then redistribute the veggies and place the sausages on top for a beautiful presentation. Enjoy!
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So I'm still very new to video editing. Last night I stayed up way too late learning how to do some basic editing on youtube. It took longer than it should have, but I learned some things and finished a cute baby video to add to my recent sponsored Huggies Family Dollar post. (video has been added to the end of the post)
I was so excited to share it with you that I wrote a post just to show you. If you have already seen it on instagram, you get to enjoy the cuteness all over again :)
Use the store locator to find Huggies diapers at a Family Dollar near you. And don't forget, you can save $2 on Huggies Snug & Dry diapers with the Family Dollar Smart Coupons!
Linking up at Friendship Friday, Dream, Create, Inspire
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Welcome to Home Ec @ HomeHi, I'm Faith, a former Family and Consumer Science teacher turned work at home Mom blogger. I love God, my family, and food. You can usually find me in the kitchen preparing family friendly, homemade recipes and taking lots of pictures.  
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