Ruth Anne Benziger's Blog, page 13

Reading Goals Update

I’ve had a really hard year. I’m 100% sure I’m not alone.

I recently sat down and looked at the number of books I’ve read this year and it is no where near what is normal for me. I’m at 25! That is not me. I usually spend a lot of time reading. Over 100 a year.

Here’s the thing…

I have been distracted by life in the most literal way. I dedicated so much time and energy to a relationship that wasn’t at all what I thought it would be. I didn’t read as much because I was too “busy” trying to make something work that wasn’t meant to work. I won’t make that mistake again. I’m sure others can relate to putting someone first above other things in life. Reading took a back burner for sure.

I’ve also been sick all year. I’m good at hiding when I’m not feeling well. I hid it for as long as I could, but now I’m not well at all. I’ve got surgeries pending and it can be extremely stressful to think about.

I also homeschool the kids and that takes so much of my time. If you factor in school, relationship, and carving out me time, you don’t get much time for reading.

Enough excuses.

It’s been a little over a month of grieving for a relationship lost. It took some time, but I’m tired of thinking about it. It ended for a reason and I now realize that I’m so thankful it did. There are many reasons I think that but I can share that I think that him breaking things off was a blessing in disguise. I think I dodged a bullet. Irony, right?

I’ve finally gotten back into the books. I’m going to try and get back to a number that is worthy of me being an avid reader. I’m going to try and work reading into my daily routine again. I felt so empty and lost without it.

I’m also working on some publishing material that will be coming out during Christmas time. So, I’m happy to get back to reading and writing and focusing all my energy on my kids and what is important in my career. It’s so funny how things can get thrown at you and derail all the hard work you put in.

I’m back on track, feeling better than ever. I may be sick and I may not be able to eat food or exercise, but I’m feeling mentally strong. That is important to me.

Tell me…Have you struggled reading this year too?

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Health, Surgery, and Waiting…

It has been one week since I went into the ER with what I thought was a blockage of my ileostomy. It has happened a couple of times over the years and I thought it was no big deal. I was wrong. Very wrong.

A Parastomal hernia has developed under my stoma and the bowel has been caught in it. That is what caused the blockage. So, I went in and they had to insert an NG tube to remove everything and then was transferred to another hospital in El Paso.

I thought I was getting surgery which is the only reason I agreed to be moved. But that surgeon did not want to operate. He wanted me to see my surgeon who performed my ileostomy. She, however, does not do hernia surgery. My surgical team is at UNM in Albuquerque but they don’t operate on anyone with a BMI over 35. Which is definitely me.

So, after a lot of phone calls here is what is happening.

I’m going to get weight loss surgery first. That is my only option. I was put on a liquid diet. The first appointment I could get into the bariatric surgeon isn’t until July 2. So, this is going to be a loooooooooooooong road ahead.

I’m hoping they can repair the hernia at the same time when they do the weight loss surgery. That would be ideal. If not, I’m looking at two surgeries.

I was on the keto diet and was totally committed but I wasn’t really losing much weight. Now, I’m on a liquid/soft food diet. I am trying to avoid sugar as much as possible. My doctor has taken me off my medication for now.

This is all a waiting game at this point. If you know or you’ve been through it, you know that getting weight loss surgery takes a really long time. There are a lot of hoops you have to jump through in order to qualify and in order for them to perform the surgery.

I’m not sure how I’m going to handle being on this diet for so long, but I did it once before when I was really sick with Crohn’s. I thought I was moving forward, but it seems I’m moving backwards.

I’m trying to keep positive but when you’re hungry, in pain, and irritated, it can be quite hard.

I’ll keep you updated with any changes. For now, if you have any advice for liquid/soft foods that are more filling, let me know.

Ruth Anne

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Thinking about Homeschooling? Start Here!

A few people have either reached out, or I’ve seen mentioning that they want to homeschool. So, I’m going to provide all of you with some resources and point you in the right direction.

IT’S GOING TO BE OVERWHELMING, BUT YOU CAN DO IT. TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND READ THROUGH THIS AND I HOPE IT WILL HELP YOU FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE STARTING OUT.

THERE ARE SOME ENCOURAGING VIDEOS AT THE END OF THIS POST FOR YOU TO WATCH.

State Homeschooling Laws

Each state has a set of laws that pertain to homeschooling. I live in NM. So, I would go to New Mexico and these are the laws based from https://hslda.org/ It is the perfect place to start. If you don’t live in New Mexico, click on the website and you can find the laws for your state.

New Mexico Laws:1. Be qualified to teach.

In order to homeschool in New Mexico, you must have a high school diploma or its equivalent (i.e. a GED).

2. Notify the state superintendent of your intent to homeschool.

Notification must be made to the New Mexico Public Education Department within 30 days of starting your homeschool and annually by August 1 thereafter. The August 1 notice must identify the school district in which you are homeschooling. Mail the form to this address:

New Mexico Department of Education
Attn: Home School Notification
300 Don Gaspar
Santa Fe, NM 87501-2786

You can also submit the notice of intent online, here.

3. Teach for the required number of days.

You should teach for the same number of days that your local public school is in session (generally 180 days).

4. Teach the required subjects.

You should include reading, language arts, math, social studies, and science in your homeschool curriculum.

5. Maintain immunization records.

You can obtain a waiver of this requirement if you have a religious objection or medical exemption.

Unschooling

If you are taking your child out of the public school system, there are going to be some habits that you will have to transition your child from. To start, public schools start at 8 and end at 3, approximately. That’s an all day session where students sit in a desk and often travel to different classrooms for specials.

When you begin homeschool, it is best to start slow. It won’t be as easy as you might think.

Unschooling is a form of homeschooling, which is the education of children at home or other places rather than in a school. It involves teaching children based on their interests rather than a set curriculum.

I personally went with this approach my first year and it has paid off in spades. You might be thinking, how the heck do I teach based on my child’s interest. Where do I start?

Don’t worry. Take a deep breath. Let’s start off with something easy.

For the first two to three weeks, you won’t have any formal teaching. Say what? Many people would think they are neglecting the child’s education. That’s not true. What you are doing, is getting the child used to changing the routine and getting used to being at home with you. If they play games, go online, hang out with friends, or simply do nothing other than spend time at home, that’s okay! Baby steps.

While your child is getting used to the new schedule, here are some things you should be doing to prepare your child for at home learning.

Don’t try to create school at home. If you choose to homeschool, don’t go out and buy a desk and try to make the kid sit all day like they would at school. Trust me, it won’t work. You’ll drive yourself crazy. Ask a lot of questions. Unschooling teaches children to be independent learners. To be self-directed learners. In my opinion, public schools don’t foster this as much. If your child learns to be self disciplined now, it will pay off later. Think about when you went from high school where your day was scheduled and directed by staff all day, to going to college where it is all on you. Teach your child to be independent now, and it will help that transition along a lot faster. Provide your child with a rich environment. What does that mean? Leave books, resources, websites, games etc..in your child’s path. They will come to the knowledge and start wondering about what you put out there. Then, when they are interested, you can find and foster their learning experience. Don’t stress too much on how fast or slow they are learning. Every child is different. We all learn differently and the beauty is, you get to help your child flourish based on their specific needs. The one on one learning is going to be so helpful and your child will do well. Enjoy this time with your kids. Sometimes we work too much, have a lot on our plates, and we miss out on the simple moments. You get to share all of that with your kids while they are young. Foster those values and morals in them now. They will grow closer to you and that will help them learn better. Start thinking about curriculum. Picking Curriculum

So, you’ve been home a few weeks with the kids, they are not on school schedule anymore, you are getting antsy to get started. There are many different curriculum options out there that you can choose from. I’m going to provide you with a number of free resources and then links to curriculum packages that are an option for you to buy.

FREE

https://www.123homeschool4me.com/https://www.khanacademy.org/https://allinonehomeschool.com/https://freedomhomeschooling.com/https://www.k12reader.com/https://www.homeschool.com/printables/ FREE PRINTABLEShttps://a2zhomeschooling.com/materials/curriculum_shop/free_curriculum/free_homeschool_curriculum/https://lifeinthenerddom.com/free-complete-homeschool-curriculum/

You can find FREE worksheets and PAID worksheets on https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/ and https://www.pinterest.com/

ONLINE HOMESCHOOL PROGRAMS WITH MONTHLY FEES

https://www.ixl.com/https://www.time4learning.com/https://www.abeka.com/

BOXED CURRICULUM

https://www.christianbook.com/page/homeschool?navcat=Homeschoolhttps://www.goodandbeautiful.com/https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Complete-Homeschooling-System-5342076

You can search Amazon, the web, and many other places for boxed curriculum. I’ll be using some parts of a curriculum set, but not for all subjects.

Just remember, you can do simple worksheets, online, or buy workbooks. The important things is to use the resources you have, and I suggest looking up the grade level skills your child needs to learn to keep you on track.

Find Support

Not everyone is going to agree with your choice to homeschool. Boy did I get a lot of looks and heard some whispers when I first started. Don’t let the naysayers put you off. You’ve already agonized and thought on this enough to have to worry about what other people think.

Investing in your child’s learning and wanting to be there for every step is really admirable and I’m here for you.

Facebook groups really do help me. There are a lot of people who will support you.

Watch YouTube Homeschool Families

This is where I started. Here are some channels I recommend for you to see what others are doing. It might ease your mind a little to watch what others are doing and how well their children are doing. If you feel overwhelmed right now, I was too. It was so much and I didn’t think I could do it. But, I’m going on three years and I don’t regret it one bit.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_lR4Yyl7oXPukf64nP2LxQ THE FALLCO FAMILY-SERENAhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoh0iC03xsDvmqWir2wh5ag ANGELA BRANIFFhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4EaIDE3KUTnL-Gs4cqxCrQ GRACE AND GRIT- ASHLEYhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd5QtNTKS5idxJon05eXagw HOMESCHOOL ON THE HILL

These are my favorites but there are TONS of homeschooling videos that will help you. Here are a few.

If you need any more help, need more reassurance, or want to ask questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I will help as much as I can outside of these resources. I’m still figuring out what works for us and we do have a ton of fun.

Happy Homeschooling!

Ruth Anne

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Inspiration and Challenges

Life is full of curve balls, snow balls in the face, knock downs, and beautiful moments. We often tend to focus on the negative and forget about the positive. We often worry about what is going wrong and forget to live in the moment. In the moments of happiness, we forget to give thanks. To just be still.

I can admit that in this past year, I forgot to stand still. I forgot to enjoy what was and I struggle to remember that things aren’t simple. I forgot to memorialize the great times.

I’ve been guilty in remembering and focusing on everything that didn’t go as planned. I focused on what went wrong, what I wasn’t happy about, and what I thought would go wrong.

Even as I’m going through heartbreak, I am thankful for so many things. I have my moments of feeling sorry for myself. Of being angry. But the truth is, I’m not angry. I’m not sorry. I’m going through normal emotions. Deep down, I’m thankful. I experienced love and something I will carry with me forever. Did it end? Yes. But the feelings will guide me through the rest of my life.

I refuse to focus on the negative. I won’t dwell too long on the hurt. I’m trying to focus on where life will lead me next. I have other things to focus on. My children whom I dedicate my entire life to. My health, which isn’t perfect right now. My family who have always been there in times of need. We are all imperfect.

I’m inspired by books I’m reading. I’m facing challenges daily.

Life isn’t easy, it isn’t always fair, and we don’t get what we want. Maybe I’ll look back years from now and laugh at myself and my silly emotions. Maybe there was a reason for this to happen. I like to think people are brought into our lives to teach us things. I sure did learn a lot.

So, be inspired when bad things happen. Face the challenges with all you’ve got. Things will get better. One day at a time.

Let’s do this together.

Ruth Anne

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Reading Slump is over! I hope…

I picked up where I left off on Legacy by Nora Roberts. It is an advanced reader copy. I got about halfway through and couldn’t finish it. So, I began to read the last few days and I’m near done. Review to come.

I also started reading Fierce by Aly Raisman. I got this book from bookoutlet.com awhile ago and just haven’t gotten around to reading it. I just started today.

I’m also reading a keto recipe book circled around Keto cycling.

Hopefully, I can read more and get back into my routine. It annoys me that I didn’t read as much lately and I think that it has negatively impacted me. So, books are friends. Don’t neglect your mind.

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Pork Chops & Green Beans

Ingredients

Directions

Cut green beans on each side to destem, cut in half. Slice mushrooms. Mince garlic. Chop Almonds. Roasted Red Peppers chopped.

Heat green beans, mushrooms, peppers, and garlic in a pain with 2 tablespoons of oil.

Cook pork chops in slices with 2 tablespoon oil.

Serve on a plate and eat!

Green Chef’s Ancho Chicken Soup-Review

Green Chef Box Item

Ingredients Directions

Pat chicken strips dry with paper towels. Cut any larger strips in half lengthwise.

Heat about 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken to hot pot. Cook 3-4 minutes, or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.

Add onion and garlic. Season with about 1/2 teaspoon salt and about 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook 2-3 minutes, or until translucent.

Add cabbage and roasted red peppers to pot with chicken. Season with ancho-cumin spice blend. Stir to combine. Cook 3-4 minutes, or until cabbage begins to soften.

Add creamy mushroom broth, about half of the cilantro, and about 1/2 cup water to pot with chicken and veggies. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer about 5 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked and broth is slightly reduced.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Toast Pepitas and sauté them in a pan, cut them up. They gave me pumpkin seeds but it works just as great.

Plate your dish. Garnish with tomato, cilantro, pepitas, and cotija cheese.

Review

It was tasty and filling.

Instead of enough for two, it looks like I can stretch it to almost 6 meals (for myself, the kids didn’t like it).

I would make this again.

However, this box would be $89 a week. I could get all the ingredients to all the meals for way cheaper. So, I will not be continuing this service.

Also, I chose the keto option and this was very high in carbs. If I ate a full serving, it would have been 14 g net carbs and I don’t eat more than 27 g a day. So, I do not think they have meals that are geared toward keto. None of the meals on the site were low in carbs. This was one of the lower end recipes. I would not make this on a regular basis.

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Spicy Asparagus and Meatballs

I decided to use up some of the asparagus in my fridge. I added some onion and red peppers. I tossed in some minced garlic and some sesame seeds. It came out great.

Homemade Tomato Sauce

Hi, everyone. I wanted to share my experiment with all of you. I wanted to see if I could make my own tomato sauce and I am happy with the result.

First, you should pick tomatoes that are good for slicing with a good amount of meat on them. You’ll want to take the core out and take off the skin.

De-skinning

The way I took the skin off was to have two pots on the stove. One, you bring to a hard boil. The other you can have cool water. Put the coreless tomatoes in the boiling water until you see the skin split and begin to fall off. Lift it out of the water and place in the cool water.

Suggestion: Don’t drop the tomatoes into the boiling water, you will BURN yourself.

Once you have let the tomatoes cool in the water, you can take them out and they will slide off really easily.

Cooking

Next, you’ll want to cut the tomatoes into larger slices and put them in a crock pot at 250 degrees. You’ll want to heat them and check on them every two hours or so. Use a ladle to take the juice out and set aside. Do this until about three or so hours have passed or until the tomatoes no longer seep liquid.

Blend

Once you’ve taken all the liquid out and saved for juice, turn off the crock pot and let it cool for about 15-20 minutes. Then, either use an emerging blender or put the tomatoes in a blender and blend it all together. I recommend using 1 tsp of salt for 5 tomatoes. Voila! You have sauce and you can either eat it or can it.

Strain Juice

If you plan on using the juice, I recommend straining out the seeds and excess meat. Put in a jar and can or save in your refrigerator. I plan to use mine in a stew.

I used 5 tomatoes and it yielded nearly 1 pint of sauce and 4.07oz of juice.

You can add whatever spices you would like to your sauce depending on what you plan to use it for.

Enjoy!

Thank you to Sara from Living Traditions Homestead where I got the recipe. I’ve learned so much from watching their YouTube channel.

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Taco-Stuffed Avocados

The Everything Keto Cycling Cookbook

Ingredients

½ pound 85/15 ground beef
½ tablespoon chili powder
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
2 medium avocados, peeled
¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons chopped black olives
4 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro

Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Add spices and tomato sauce and stir until incorporated. Reduce Heat to low and cook for another 3 minutes. Cut avocados in half lengthwise and remove the pit. Scoop out a little well in each half. Chop up avocado that you scooped out and set aside. Spoon equal part amounts of beef mixture into each avocado half. Top with equal amounts of cheese, olives, avocado, and cilantro. Serve immediately. __ATA.cmd.push(function() { __ATA.initDynamicSlot({ id: 'atatags-26942-607223d3b1b36', location: 120, formFactor: '001', label: { text: 'Advertisements', }, creative: { reportAd: { text: 'Report this ad', }, privacySettings: { text: 'Privacy', } } }); });