{Yogurt Secret for my Size and Weight}

 Just have to share with you this Yogurt Secret for my Size and Weight. Well, since 2007 when I got diagnosed as being Diabetes type 2, both of us have been reading labels religiously. That was quite an eye opener as it is SO MISLEADING at times. If one does not pay any attention or just believes that any fat-free yogurt is a good choice, sugars and calories can be stacking up on you!

This is our Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt of choice; from Trader Joe's.

We have to drive long distance in order to stock up on this one but it pays off.
We eat it with FRESH seasonal fruit, nothing else!

NOTE the Serving Size = 1 cup or 227g!

Total Fat 0%

Saturated Fat 0%

Cholesterol 0%

Sodium 3%

Potassium 8%

Total Cabohydrate 2%

Dietary Fiber 0%

Sugars 6g

Protein 44%

Publications that TRICK you! Cream of the crop

This comparison is using a Serving size of only 6 oz!

So let us convert that: 

Our Trader Joe's Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt is 32 oz or 908 g = 27.375 g per ounce! 

So a 6 oz serving size would yield 164.25g versus a serving size of 227g! 

Which is 38%  MORE; thus a lot higher sugar etc!

The sugar for e.g Fage is NOT 7g but 9.66g when adding those 38%!

It is even worse for the rest down the list... with the added 38%!
Stonyfield Farm Fat Free Chocolate Underground Yogurt adds up to a whopping 48.3g... which is EIGHT times that of our Trader Joe's Greek Yogurt Nonfat Plain.  

Fage does list those 9.66g as only 9g... Would love to have a loan from them if they do their calculation like that!

But as a consumer you have to really study the labels and compare the same serving sizes!

Watch out for publications and advertisements that only mention Fatsecret as they love to bypass the sugar issue...

6 Best Foods You're Not Eating
Another benefit of plain, nonfat Greek yogurt is the fact that the liquid whey has been strained out which makes it thicker and creamier.
A BIG bonus is that it contains TWICE THE PROTEIN of regular yogurts!

Related link:
{SUGAR is your #1 enemy!} | previous post by me

{White Bougainvillea}

When we were in Florida at the Bok Tower Gardens in May, we did buy us a White Bougainvillea at the gift shop.
A very neat way for keeping pot plants outdoors, to be picked up by customers and paid for inside the gift shop. 

Such beautiful blossoms...

This is the entire plant inside its new pot on our patio.

Its flowers hang kind of upside down...

The above two photos show even a little greenish flower because it is old and it was not that sunny.

But 13 days later in full sunshine with new blossoms, it looks like this!

This photo shows the same blossom.

The first photo (top) has been made one week after these last two photos and it shows an even whiter blossom.

Don't you love these white beauties?

Related link:
{Bok Tower in Lake Wales, Florida} | previous post by me

{1950s French Camille Tharaud Limoges Lampe Berger with Red Roses}

Some of you may not yet know that I actually do have an on line Boutique where I sell mainly French Vintage and Antique Gifts. Yes, I do ship WORLDWIDE!
So here is another treasure found in France for you. A lovely 1950s Camille Tharaud Limoges Lampe Berger with Red Roses! It is in a perfect ORIGINAL condition. No new catalytic but still its original one. Very hard to find any of these.

Lovely Limoges Lampe Berger, which is available at my on line Boutique Mariette's Back to Basics

Photo from previous day, right before a sudden thunderstorm... Two roses from our garden but next day one was too far gone already.

With such a beautiful hand painted Limoges Lampe Berger you can have Red Roses year-round!
Camille Tharaud 1878-1956 was the inventor of the high fired porcelain; up to 1400°C.
This rare high quality porcelain sells often at extreme high prices like here at 1stdibs (click it)

Shown here is the back side with Red Roses painted on.

Our only rose blooming was not a red one...

Without the decorative brass cap, this lamp is 16 cm high or 6.3 inch.

Here you can see all its details, a perfect gold band around the foot.

Lampe Berger being embossed on its original brass neck.

And what is quite rare; its original CATALYTIC!

Really in pristine Museum Quality as you can see...

The markings on the bottom: Camille Tharaud Limoges Lampe Berger and made in France...

Sold out...

You can see this very lamp in exact the same condition, same cap as well, in the book: Lampes Berger A Century of History by Gérald Vilcocq on page 204, 3rd from the right... Find link below to a previous post where I show this book.

Only in France I did find this very same Lampe Berger with Red Roses at Souvenirs-d'Autrefois just click this link.

However, theirs is shown with a different cap and a new catalytic...

Related links:

BERGERMANIA | a French website with antique and vintage Lampes Berger

{Lampes Berger 1898 - 1998 A Century of History} | previous post by me showing you the book

{My Private Lampes Berger Collection + Boutique Items} | previous post by me

Air Diagnostic | learn about Lampe Berger

{LIVE IN AIR YOU LOVE} | previous post by me showing you a video about how to use Lampe Berger

{Ebony Jewelwing}

With our new camera I was intrigued by a lot of Ebony Jewelwing flying near our creek...
But how difficult it is to capture them!
When I was trying to capture the more colorful male up close this afternoon, I had to give up...
This makes me even more admire the excellent photos that Noushka takes from Dragonflies.
She is an excellent photographer, just have a look at her 1000 PATTES or 1000 TRACKS.
So below is what I got to share with you.

This is a male but I could not get his body clearly. 

LOVE their face!

The female with the white spots on her wings.

Again a female...

A male, resting on an Orontium Aquaticum in the creek

Same Ebony Jewelwing male...

Related link:

Calopteryx maculata Ebony Jewelwing as seen on Bug Guide

{Our Backyard Wildlife HABITAT Certificate from August 1997} | showing our creek with the Orontium Aquaticum

{Vinca Extreme White from Home Depot}

For the summer our Fiberglass Window Boxes got filled with Vinca Extreme White from The Home Depot.
The pansies from the spring had given up...

Are they not lovely?
Even our shortened Post Lantern looks nice with it.
We used to have it stand to the left but the Magnolia tree and Indian Hawtorn grew big; hiding it!

That is the newly added wall as part of the water control project. Looks great in the Benjamin Moore Golden Mist exterior paint color.

The Vinca Extreme White in a closeup...

What a precious find at Home Depot!

Related links:

{Our White Pansies & Indian Hawthorn} | previous post showing you the April view

Flower Framers of Cincinnati | source for our Fiberglass Window Boxes
{Retainer Wall Extension for Water Control} | previous post where you can see the Post Lantern away from the wall...

{Our Gazebo in Summer}

As a Mid-Week photo I love to show you our Gazebo in Summer...
The light is playing through our dogwood and also the Vintage Woodworks ginger bread looks like wooden lace...
Not very visible here but the Aged Copper Aluminum Slate Roof from Interlock Metal Roofing is something we still are very pleased with!

Together with our Balcony, it makes for a favorite spot to enjoy tea, lunch, supper or even breakfast!

The view of the pond and over the garden makes it just perfect.

Enjoy your day; wherever you are!

Related links:

{Our Home with Aluminum Interlock Roofing and Benjamin Moore Golden Mist Exterior} | previous post by me
{Our Gazebo with Chair Cushions} | previous post by me

{Our Clematis Lanuginosa Candida}

Last year our beautiful large blooming Clematis Lanuginosa Candida was wilting away... When I made a photo of its blossoms I was shocked to see their shrunken size. So husband Pieter did dig up the plant as it was in the shade, near the big trees... NOT good.

Here a proud Pieter shows off his prized Clematis Lanuginosa Candida in 1996...
That one was a DREAM!

It grew against the front porch balusters from Vintage Woodworks...

Something to really admire...

The same abundance in 1997, but we lost that one.
Pieter however always maintained to keep a baby alive.
Last year that baby was not thriving...
Now look how happy it is this year!

It is back to its usual size of up to 9" across!

It now resides up against the balcony, on the driveway side.
We hope it will be as beautiful as its grandparents were in previous years!

Related link:

{Our 2013 Clematis lanuginosa 'Candida'} | previous post by me
{Our Clematis lanuginosa 'Candida'} | previous post by me

{Duvet Covers 16 Inch Wider Now}

This is how I did solve the problem with my too narrow Dutch Down Duvets and its Cinderella Duvet Covers...

At TJ Maxx we found a nice white all cotton queen sheet set. As I could use the fitted sheet for our bed, the flat sheet got used for adding 16 inch (or 40 cm) of width to the duvet covers. 

Here it is, added on already!

The hard part was the tedious opening up of the seam with the seam ripper.

Once that got done it was easy.

So a total of 32 inches of white cotton fabric for each duvet cover was added on.

To make it real easy, I even kept the flat sheet's folded hem and only added ties for closing at the bottom by stitching white bias tape together.

Had to mark those spots with my pink chalk (still visible here).

Simple and low cost. Learn from Mariette...

Related link:
{Dutch Twin Down Duvets Altered to American Size} | previous post by me with chart about size differences between Dutch & American Down Duvets...

{Umbrella Pole Recycled into Bird Feeder Post}

Our old Umbrella Pole from the balcony got Recycled into a Bird Feeder Post...

Here it is...

Closeup

The feeder is holding suet blocks on the side...

Even though the squirrels benefit most from all the bird seeds and suet!

As you can see here; completely empty and being plundered by the squirrels...

Whenever I take photos, our felines go with me...

Barty showing to the right of the feeder; Spooky on the platform below the steps and Tiggy-Tiger to the left in front of that planter near the gazebo.

Loved the light around 6:30 PM in which our gazebo is being shown here...

All those huge trees make our garden a bird's paradise!

Related link:
{Our Balcony} | previous post by me showing the umbrella pole on our balcony... till Christmas 1998!

{Our now WHITE Barlow Tyrie Capri Lounger with Wheels}

On Tuesday, July 23 of 1996 we got this teak Barlow Tyrie Capri Lounger delivered, complete with cushion. It served us well, all those years but last year we had it professionally painted WHITE, together with the teak round table.

Yes, we still support the color 'Orange' being Dutch by birth and American by choice!

We found this umbrella with stand at Tuesday Morning and the stand got painted green, like our outdoor shutters.

We love the round teak table and the Capri Lounger being painted white.

This is how our Barlow Tyrie Capri Lounger with wheels used to be...

The Italian CERDOMUS ceramiche tiles are being put on last year by husband Pieter.

The entire balusters and railing are from Vintage Woodworks in Polyurethane, reinforced with aluminum. In late summer they too got professionally painted. They will last a lifetime!

Not bad for an 18-year old Barlow Tyrie Capri Lounger; don't you think?

Related link:
{Our Balcony} | previous post by me showing the original teak Barlow Tyrie Capri Lounger + table
{Our Cerdomus Italian GREEN Tiles} | previous post by me showing the new tiles