Of The Hearth

Summer 2013 Menu

May 27, 2013 By Shannon 7 Comments This post may contain affiliate links and this site uses cookies. Click here for details.

After 3 months on our monthly menu for spring, we’re ready for a change (you can read more on why I plan monthly menus here). Our menu only includes dinner selections because we almost always eat leftovers with a side of fruit for lunch. For breakfasts I usually make a few items on the weekends and freeze them for easy preparation on busy … [Read more...] about Summer 2013 Menu

Tips for Healthier Grilling

May 24, 2013 By Shannon 3 Comments This post may contain affiliate links and this site uses cookies. Click here for details.

Memorial Day is this Monday. Will you be among the many Americans who fire up their grills to barbeque dinner? My husband and I will be, so I’m reviewing some important health information about grilled foods. Grilling is often cited as a healthy way to prepare meat (because the meat doesn’t simmer in its own fat), but grilled meats also harbor … [Read more...] about Tips for Healthier Grilling

When Virtuous Flowers Become Sinful Weeds

May 22, 2013 By Shannon 11 Comments This post may contain affiliate links and this site uses cookies. Click here for details.

As my husband and I have been tidying our yard this spring, we’ve done some research on weeds. Do you know the difference between flowers and weeds? Weeds are defined as plants out of place or plants growing where they are not desired. According to this definition, even beautiful, well-loved flowers constitute weeds when they grow in locations … [Read more...] about When Virtuous Flowers Become Sinful Weeds

Forming Positive Relationships with Difficult Neighbors

May 20, 2013 By Shannon 8 Comments This post may contain affiliate links and this site uses cookies. Click here for details.

Last week I wrote a post about the declining sense of connectedness between neighbors in our nation and why we need to reverse this trend (read the post here). It is often easy to assert the benefits of connectedness and make recommendations for getting to know your neighbors when speaking of neighbors in a general sense. The subjective view … [Read more...] about Forming Positive Relationships with Difficult Neighbors

Breaking Little Habits that Hamper Productivity

May 18, 2013 By Shannon 4 Comments This post may contain affiliate links and this site uses cookies. Click here for details.

Catalyzed by my post on battling laziness, I’ve been focusing on some tasks that I’d previously avoided because I just didn’t want to work on them. Guess what? I'm making progress! I finally took care of the stacks of assorted documents that rendered my desk unusable. While focused on these tasks, I’ve realized that my productivity is … [Read more...] about Breaking Little Habits that Hamper Productivity

Triclosan in Antibacterial Products: Harmful or Helpful?

May 15, 2013 By Shannon 7 Comments This post may contain affiliate links and this site uses cookies. Click here for details.

Triclosan, a synthetic, broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent, has been added to various products including soaps, cosmetics, fabrics, and plastics since the 1970s. While the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asserts that triclosan is not known to be harmful to humans, they also state that regulators do not have scientific research demonstrating … [Read more...] about Triclosan in Antibacterial Products: Harmful or Helpful?

Do You Know Your Neighbors?

May 13, 2013 By Shannon 8 Comments This post may contain affiliate links and this site uses cookies. Click here for details.

Over the last few days I’ve been thinking about neighbors a little more than I usually do. I began doing so after hearing a news story about 3 women who were kidnapped and then held captive for 10 years in a house in Cleveland. The general public and the media have asked how these women could be held in a house in a very populated neighborhood … [Read more...] about Do You Know Your Neighbors?

Navigating the Nutrition Maze: Cruciferous Vegetables

May 11, 2013 By Shannon 5 Comments This post may contain affiliate links and this site uses cookies. Click here for details.

What’s your favorite vegetable? While a few of you are cringing at the question because you don’t like any vegetables, most of you do have a few you really enjoy eating. How about broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, and collard greens? Do you like any of these? They are from the Brassica genus of plants and are known as … [Read more...] about Navigating the Nutrition Maze: Cruciferous Vegetables