LIVING NEWS

The latest lifestyle news from around Alabama

For those of us religiously checking on Tropical Storm Gustav, Beliefnet offers a prayer for hurricane season penned by the Rev. Al Volpe. The supplication was originally dedicated to the victims of Hurricane Audrey in 1957.

Prayer for Hurricane Season

O God, Master of this passing world, hear the humble voices of your children. The Sea of Galilee obeyed your order and returned to its former quietude; you are still the Master of land and sea. We live in the shadow of a danger over which we have no control. The Gulf, like a provoked and angry giant, can awake from its seeming lethargy, overstep its conventional boundaries, invade our land and spread chaos and disaster. During this hurricane season, we turn to You, O loving Father. Spare us from past tragedies whose memories are still so vivid and whose wounds seem to refuse to heal with the passing of time. O Virgin, Star of the Sea, Our Beloved Mother, we ask you to plead with your Son in our behalf, so that spared from the calamities common to this area and animated with a true spirit of gratitude, we will walk in the footsteps of your Divine Son to reach the heavenly Jerusalem where a storm-less eternity awaits us. Amen.

"Get up, sweetie! You're going to miss the bus!"
"I can't."
"Why not?"
"My throat hurts..."

*Gulp* - you are suddenly the "deer in the headlights" again, wondering whether this is serious or not, wondering if it is the dreaded "Strep Throat", wondering in the same moment whether your child should stay home...I mean, nobody wants to be the parent who allowed her kid to infect the whole school, right? Who was that you remember from history class...Typhoid Mary or something...How embarrassing...What should you do???

Continue reading "Is it strep? Or just a sore throat?" »

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Want some more FREE Chick-n-Strips from Chick-fil-A?

While I was at the Chick-fil-A in Inverness getting my FREE 3-count Chick-n-Strips the other day, I noticed a small sign displayed on the condiment counter.

Here is what the sign said:

Chick-fil-A® is introducing new, bigger, tastier, dippier Chick-n-Strips™ and sauce - and you can try them for FREE. This Labor Day (09/01/08), 10:30 a.m. to close, wear any football team logo or collegiate logo for a free three-count of Chick-n-Strips.

Just remember that you can only wear a "football team logo" or a "collegiate logo".

The new Chick-n-Strips are really good! Have you tried the new Chick-fil-A sauce? It is called just that, "Chick-fil-A Sauce". So simple, it is almost confusing. : ) It is really, really good!

At the last Chick-n-Strip give away, we had so much chicken between the five of us (15 strips total), I took the leftovers home and made stir-fry with them the next night!

For our family of five, we will each wear a logo (even if I have to print one on the computer and tape it on...).

If each Chick-n-Strip 3-count costs $2.99, we are getting $14.95 worth of delicious chicken FREE! (You don't even have to pay tax!)

In the last month, we will have gotten almost $30 worth of FREE Chick-n-Strips! Amazing!

Well folks, I gave it a true "thata boy" shot, but the Flat Belly Diet was not successful for me. I did indeed lose weight, but it was at a much slower pace than doing Mediterranean/Sonoma. This wasn't just true for me, it was also true for my husband.

So it was agreed that we pick up a few tricks from Flat Belly but go back to eating the way that started our successful weight loss journey. Eating healthy, high fiber, colorful, lean mean, low fat foods. It's really that simple.

Continue reading "Back to Sonoma to retrieve some weight loss" »

When I started this weight loss journey, having a smoothie every morning was a staple part of my new healthy diet. For some reason I have gotten away from that ritual. But this week I have determined that smoothies will start my day again.

There are several reasons for this. Because of the flax included in my smoothie recipe, I quite frankly feel better when I drink my smoothies. The fiber from the flax helps regulate my system and it also helps flush out excess fluids. I find I tend to retain fluid especially when I am stressed. And as you know from previous articles, stresses have been many in our household lately! I had my big smoothie this morning and I felt better entering into my day than I have in a long time. It was a welcome feeling!

Continue reading "Smoothies and getting back to basics" »

Keep cool on Labor Day with recipes that don't require heating the grill

The older I get the hotter it gets and the less tolerance I have to humidity or mildew, both of which have been in abundance this summer.

Speaking only for myself (and who else can I speak for?), I'll be glad when summer is finally over. I used to like summer, and I still do, but I just can't seem to take as much of it as I used to.

Continue reading "Inside barbecue" »

We live in a part of the country where the year is divided into three distinct seasons. The rest of the union has four; three is enough for us, and ours are easier to define.

There's Mardi Gras Season, which runs roughly from November to March. Then there's Beach Season, which starts after Mardi Gras and runs through Labor Day.

The third season, arguably the most important season, starts Saturday and runs through January.

Football Season.

With all due respect to the Olympics, it's time to get serious about sports.

Continue reading "A new season starts Saturday: Time for chili" »

Exit 205 on I-65 is a favorite stop where travelers can eat or shop for food, from peaches to pies to produce

"Are we there yet?" isn't necessarily the cry of kids in the back seat when cars are headed up or down Interstate 65 between Birmingham and Montgomery.

The anticipation comes from the grownups who have come to know and love visits to stops off Exit 205. That's where cars frequently stop on either side of the interstate - at Durbin Farms Market to the west or Peach Park to the east.

Continue reading "Interstate interlude" »