GIVEAWAY: Spring Fling Hop: $50 Amazon + 3 Books US/CAN 5/7

Welcome to the Spring Fling Giveaway Hop hosted by Eve's Fan Garden and I Am a Reader, Not a Writer. All participating blogs have giveaways of interest to readers, authors or bloggers.

This event runs May 1-7 so you have a week to enter all the giveaways you can.

My sponsor for this giveaway is R.M. Publishing USA and is open to US/CAN

One winner will receive:

• Two signed Cut the Crap and Save 30% Of Your Income by Ruth McCormick ($25 each) [share one with a friend!]
• Moms and Other Fabulous Females/Dads and Other Marvelous Males by Ruth McCormick ($20)
• $50 Amazon.com gift certificate

About the Books:

Cut the Crap and Save 30% Of Your Income

This is a 64 lesson hands on book to help the family focus on their spending habits. This book is unique in two ways:

1. It addresses the need for the whole family to increase their financial I.Q., not just the adults.
2. It is a hands on book that has active participation worksheets. It starts with everyone filling out a "wish list". After members focus on what the family really wants from their money, it has them trace areas/habits that make the family use money carelessly, therefor freeing money to go into their real wants.Along with volumes of money saving suggestions in all areas of spending - housing, cars, clothing, food, entertainment, travel, etc. it has the family focus their 30% savings into future goals. Guaranteed to save money and foster family bonding.

Moms and Other Fabulous Females/Dads and Other Marvelous Males

Compiled by Ruth McCormick, Moms/Dads is a collection of amazing stories by multiple authors about the women/men in their lives that have inspired them. These inspirational stories are a great gift for anyone on your list.

Enter using the rafflecopter form below.  It may take a few moments to load. Click on Do It for more instructions and then after you do it, click Enter. Make sure you read instructions carefully. If you  have any questions or problems, leave a comment or email me callista83 AT cogeco DOT ca.
A copy of the giveaway rules are below and on the rafflecopter form. Entering the giveaway means you have read and agree to the rules.

Giveaway open US/CAN 18+. Giveaway open until May 7, 2012 @ 11:59 PM EST. Odds of winning depend on number of valid entries received. Duplicate (accidental or not) entries will be deleted before a winner is picked and winner's entries WILL BE verified. Winners will be selected using rafflecopter's random.org on May 8, 2012 and will be contacted by email. Winner will have 2 days to claim their prize or their prize is forfeit and another winner will be chosen. Contest Void Where Prohibited. This giveaway is not associated, nor sponsored by Facebook. We hereby release Facebook of any liability.


a Rafflecopter giveaway
Visit Other Participating Blogs:  

*Disclosure: I received some of the product(s) mentioned above by the company or PR representative for evaluation purposes. No other compensation was provided.

welcome back, rothko

 Rothko (Taschen 25th Anniversary Special Edition) by Jacob Baal-Teshuva.  The Portland Art Museum in the background.

Mark Rothko (1903-1970)

Mark Rothko and I have a few things in common.  We both taught art, have a fascination with Matisse's Red Studio, and we have roots in Portland, Oregon.  In fact, we attended the same high school- Rothko, 65 years prior.



I am a huge fan of Rothko's signature color-block paintings.  So, I was thrilled to say the least when I first heard that the Portland Art Museum would be showcasing 45 of his works this spring.  It was at the Portland Art Museum where his first one-man show took place in 1933.



I decided to go the Rothko exhibition on my birthday last month.  I wanted a quiet evening with my husband, and looking at art in a museum is about as quiet as you can get.  For a moment, time was forgotten as we slowly moved from one painting to the next.  The works in the show span 40 years of Rothko's art career, so there was a lot to take in and process.



I like to study paintings up-close.  I try to decrypt the layers of paint and sequence of brushstrokes.  By understanding the creative process, I feel that I have a better grasp of the artist's emotions involved.  Rothko himself encouraged viewers to look at his art at an intimate proximity for this very reason. 

"The people who weep before my pictures are having the same religious
experience I had when I painted them. And if you, as you say, are moved
only by their color relationship, then you miss the point."

Hickey Robertson.The Rothko Chapel

If I'm ever in Houston, Texas, on my must-see list is The Rothko Chapel.  The non-denominational chapel
was completed in 1971.  Inside are fourteen Rothko paintings.  What a beautiful space to go to for spiritual reflection and meditation!

Loose weight, Get Healthy and Feed the Hungry!

I know I know you have been missing me!  OK, just joking you have probably been just fine without me.  I haven't been blogging as much this last week as I have been working on starting up my natural health consulting business again.  


For those of you who don't know I have a Masters Degree in the Science of Natural Health, and am passionate about healthy living!  I love good food and making it with whole foods that bring healing and health.  As a mom of 4 little ones (7,5,3, & 2) I work hard at incorporating whole foods, natural living choices and herbology into our lives on a daily basis.  I am also passionate about Jesus, missions,orphans, and the hungry and am hatching a plan to make the first month of my business work to feed this hungry family you see below !

.I am very excited to be getting back into consulting and have been working all the details out.  Now here comes the fun part for you guys..


I am planning on setting up some online skype and phone consulting options so those of you who want to get on top of your health or weight can still participate no matter where you live!  


I plan to focus on weight loss, whole foods, sports nutrition, and holistic lifestyle changes.  While I am sorting out all the details PLEASE let me know if any of you would be interested and what price ranges and subjects interest you.  Since I have 4 small kiddos, and homeschool I am wanting to focus in on providing services for the topics mentioned above as well as offering whole foods cooking classes in your home if you live in Trinidad Colorado!  Now if you are not in my area I will be setting up a whole foods online or phone consulting plan to help you move into whole foods to better your families lives!


The best part is that for the ENTIRE whole first month of business ALL proceeds will go straight to helping support this family in a way that helps them eat and become self sustaining! 

Their photo is currently hanging on a poster we made in our hallway with a envelope for spontaneous giving and as a reminder to pray for them.  We give through an organization called F.O.V.C that is very faithful with the funds they receive and because it is run mainly by volunteers there is VERY VERY little overhead.  I chose to do this because we support the baby that is in this photo on a monthly basis, but want to do more for the rest of the family even though our monthly income is small and variable.  We wanted to be able to support the whole family above from Ethiopia for a year, so that is our goal! I want to do enough consults the first month and enough whole food cooking classes to support them.  After that I plan to give 10% of all my income to hunger projects like this once this family is fully funded for the year.

So pipe up... Let me know what you think... What could I help you with?  Let me help you to help them!


Pinning this on Pinterest, shareing on facebook, and sending to friends will help too!  Thanks!  I really look forward to hearing from you all in the comments, by email, and through facebook!

The Busy Mum’s Cookbook: Easy, quick and delicious recipes for families with hectic lives by Mary Gwynn

Stars: ★★★★☆

Simon and Schuster UK (2011)

Summary: Provide food for breakfast, fill the children's lunchboxes, stock the fridge with after-school snacks, cook everyone's supper day in, day out… every week. Weekends mean more shopping, cooking, baking - and there are always teenagers, hungry partners and friends who might want a snack. Ready-meals, takeaways and fast food are fine on the odd occasion, but especially in these purse-stretched times families need tasty and healthy meals. In this practical cookbook, Mary Gwynn shows the working mum what foods to buy that will last the week and how to have delicious, easy-to-make and nutritious meals ready in a trice with no wastage. – source

I just love cookbooks and this has in it what I look for to determine of a cookbook is for me:

• Colour Photos (although not quite for every recipe, but just about)
• Uses “regular” ingredients (not foods I’ve never heard of or have to go to a specialty store to find)
• Tips for making them easier
• Variety of recipe types (meats, pasta, salads, budget conscious, desserts, good for children etc.)

The chapters are as follows:

• Busy Mum’s Basics (Tips for planning, shopping, cooking and 25 essential ingredients for cupboard, fridge and freezer)
• Family Essentials (12 classics)
• Fast and Fabulous Pasta
• Fall-Back Favourites (when you don’t have energy or inspiration)
• Weekend Wonders (when you have more time)
• Feed the Hordes (budget conscious meals to feed large numbers)
• Magic Meals (Recipes that double as healthy packed lunches)
• Transient Teenagers (Meals to be ready for teenagers to cook themselves –or husbands)
• Small but Perfect (Tried and True for the Under Tens)
• Home Alone (Me-time meals)
• Two’s Company (Special treats for you and your partner)
• Really Good Puds (Puddings and Desserts)
• Great Bakes (Baking with kids and for kids)

Keep in mind this book is from the UK (if you aren’t) and some of the terms may be different than what you are used to and you will find yourself planning all kinds of good meals. I can’t wait to make something from this book!

My week

i am in love my new hand-dyed scarf and pouch from driftwood & fossil

what a great project for kids!

i bought this dinosaur topped jar at a school fundraising event last weekend

a dear friend of mine is in Uganda for the year to help children of the AIDS epidemic 

she sent me this wonderful recycled burlap bag she found on a recent trip to Rwanda

much love and thanks, T!

glorious weather this weekend

everyone's out and about enjoying the sun, at last

this photo was taken on a walk through Tryon Creek Park 

magnolias . . . one of the reasons i love spring so much

started a new 11 x 14 painting

i'm working on six pieces for an online show coming up

more info to come in a few weeks

Seeing Red: The True Story of Blood by Tanya Lloyd Kyi

Stars: ★★★★☆

Annick Press (2012)
Teen Nonfiction

Summary: Around the world, blood has always been a symbol of both life and death: blood rites, blood oaths, and blood-soaked legends. Today, we have scientific facts about blood types, transfusions, blood-borne illnesses, and crime-scene blood spatter. Yet the fluid still holds mystery. Open this book to learn about the symbolism and reality of blood, from its role in ancient sacrifices to its uses in modern medicine and forensics. – source

I love reading children’s or teen nonfiction because it gives me the facts without all the extra pages of scientific data or case studies that you often find in adult nonfiction. Then if I want to know more about a subject, then I can read an adult nonficiton book about it.

NOTE: On the publisher’s site, this book is listed as for 10+ but I would recommend an even older audience as the topic of blood naturally leads to discussions of blood sacrifice, war, vampires and crime scenes which may disturb younger readers. My 4 year old was getting upset just at the illustrations while reading over my shoulder. I would suggest 14+.

The book was very interesting and would be a perfect reference if a student was doing a report or speech on blood. If you are just interested in the subject too or like to know a lot about science or our bodies, it’s an interesting read.

Topics Include:

• The Blood Facts (Introduction)
• Blood and Ritual (Ritual Sacrifice of Old and New)
• Rites of Passage (Blood Rituals for when children become adults as well as Menstruation)
• Sips and Suppers (Blood Eating, Food made with Blood)
• Ties That Bind (Blood and Genes, Blood Brothers, Royalty and Blood Ties)
• Reading The Blood (How Blood Helps Crime Scence Investigators)
• A Taste for Blood (Our culture’s craving for violence and blood – video games and movies or looking at real crime scenes)

The book is accompanied by black, red and white comic illustrations by Steve Rolston. I normally don’t care for comics so much but I enjoyed following along with the story through each chapter. A teen boy named Harker is learning about blood along with you and so you see his notes and thoughts and his investigations which can get funny (such as searching the grocery store for fresh blood and being kicked out).

An interesting read – would be extra fun near Halloween time.

Readathon Update

I didn’t get to do much reading today and I’m too tired to stay up. I knew I wouldn’t get much reading done but I was hoping to get more done tonight, but then I remembered computer things I had to get done tonight. Oops.

Oh well, I’ll read some tomorrow too even though it’s not the readathon anymore. I wanted to cheer others on more too. Maybe I’ll give some day late love tomorrow, we’ll see. I hope other participants are doing much better than me!

24 Hour Readathon - Starting Line

I'm a few hours late starting but I am participating in Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon as much as possible today and tomorrow.

I do have other things to do and three kids 6 and under running around but I'll try my best.

Here are my answers to Hour 1's Intro post:

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?
I am here in Ontario, Canada!

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
I have a huge stack of books I need to read and want to read. I'm not sure which I'm looking forward to most. Some of my possible reads include: What I Wish I'd Known About Raising a Child with Autism by Bobbi Sheahan, Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron, The Good Food Book for Families by Brenda Bradshaw/Cheryl Mutch, M.D., Chicken Soup for the Soul: Food and Love by Jack Canfield, Brandwashed by Martin Lindstrom, Seeing Red: The True Story of Blood by Tanya Lloyd Kyi and more!

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?
I didn't really plan this as much as I normally do since I won't be doing it excusively. I have trail mix around and chocolate pudding and granola bars, nothing special.

4) Tell us a little something about yourself!

I'm a SAHM to 3, and also blog at Callista's Ramblings and Biannual Blogathon Bash. I read almost exclusively nonfiction as I love knowledge!

5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to?
I have participated in every readathon except one (when I was offline for a few months) and I have loved every one! I was around when Dewey started the readathons. Instead of what I'll do differently, here are a few tips:

• If you want to get LOTS of reading done, watch how much you do updates, challenges and tweets. Those are fun but you will find you only got 5 or 6 hours of real reading done at the end of the 24 hours.
• Switch it up, don't read in the same place all the time, you will get sore. Try sitting on chairs, couches, laying down on stomach and on back, standing, walking, outside, inside, at home, at the park at a cafe, etc.

Happy Reading!

Things to Blog: An Offline Journal by PlainWhitePress.com

Stars: ★★★☆☆

Summary: There are blogs about everything these days, and inspiration for your next post can strike at any moment! Having this little journal handy for jotting down your ideas in popular blog style will help you remember to update and post the next time you're near a computer.

The book is divided in to sections.

Section One - Bookmarks

Keep track of your favourite blogs to read or find inspiration on. Include their name and/or url, blogger name and/or topic and a rating out of 5 stars. Use it to make sure you comment on your favourite blogs often, to check back and see what's new or anything else. If you keep the book in your purse and you are recommending a blog to someone, you would have the url on hand. There are eight pages with 15 lines each for a total of 120 so you won't running out of room to list your favourite blogs any time soon!

I'll be using it to list the blogs from my favourite online blogging groups to make sure I stop in and comment. I might also make note of which ones have Comment Luv.

Section Two - Quick Brainstorms

Ever had a blog idea when you weren't near your computer? Keep this book handy and you can write down these ideas in section two. Include date, idea, where the inspiration came from if applicable and when you've written and posted it so you know which ones are current. There are six pages with 15 lines each for a total of 90 ideas.

I'll be using it to keep track of ideas whether I'm near the computer or not because I am usually doing something else when inspiration strikes and then I forget later.

Section Three - Categories and Keywords

This section is for keeping track of the categories you regularly blog about and keywords associated with those categories. After you figure them out, remember to use them regularly, especially in post titles to make the most out of SEO. There are six pages with 15 lines each for a total of 90 categories!

I'll be using it to do just that. I need to keep SEO in mind more and I think I'd have more luck with post titles if I had this as a reference.

Section Four - Comments to Remember

When your blog is new, you await every new comment and rejoice when you get one. Once your blog is more popular though, comments become more regular and if you liked one comment, it's hard to go back and find it another time. This is a neat section where you can copy down your favourite comments to look back at later. There are eight pages with four spots on each page for a total of 32.

I'll be using this to not only document comments from readers but also messages from PR and companies thanking me for working with them. Then I can go back and look at it when I need reminding that I'm doing good work.

Section Five - Blog Journal

This is the biggest section in the book. If you want to not only jot down an idea for a blog post but actually start writing it and you aren't near your computer, you can use this section. Whether you write the whole post or just start it off, you can then type it up at a later day. You can enter in Post Title, Category/Tag, Keywords, Post Text, References and Image

Links of Interest: Offline Journals, @TweetsToSelf,

*Disclosure: I received the product(s) mentioned above free of charge by the company or PR representative for evaluation purposes. No other compensation was provided.

painting on plastic film

What is it about a shiny surface that is so appealing? Case in point- my kitty's been attacking the shiny friendship pin on my sweater all day. I tend to be a matte enthusiast myself, particularly regarding photography.  But, I do have a weak spot for glass-like finishes on paintings.  If it weren't for its toxicity, I'd be all over epoxy resin.



So, for the past three years, I've been experimenting with different finishes and products.  I do like the natural matte of wood, but sometimes I'm looking for more of a pop in color and detail.  And that's the advantage of a high gloss finish.   



The last couple of months I've been reading up on a product called Dura-Lar.  It is an archival polyester film, and it comes in a variety of thicknesses and sheens.  Since I use a multitude of mediums in my art, the Dura-Lar Wet Media Film was the best fit.  Both sides of the film are treated, and it accepts any water-based medium.

My painting process usually involves layers of transparent color.  The use of clear film in my art allows me to preserve subtle tonal changes or finer details that may otherwise be muted by the underlayer.  The white lines on the river, for example, would not be as defined and bright if I had painted them on the wood surface.



Here is another piece I created with Dura-Lar on wood panel:

To adhere the plastic film to the wood panel, I use an acrylic gel medium.  Some artists use double-sided tape (sold in sheets).  For added protection, I use the same acrylic gel medium over painted areas on the film.



Now to experiment with the transparent film on a bigger painting . . .

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Wordpress by Susan Gunelius

Stars: ★★★★★

Summary:  With more than 22 million users worldwide, WordPress is the #1 blog WordPress publishing application in the world. This guide provides users of both its hosted blogging service (WordPress.com) and its self-hosted application (WordPress.org) with everything they need to know to create, customize, manage, and share their WordPress blogs with the world. – source

What do you want to know about Wordpress?

• The difference between Wordpress.com and Wordpress.org?
• How to get a wordpress blog?
• How to customize settings?
• How to use Themes and Widgets?
• Navigation of the Dashboard?
• Tags and Categories?
• Trackbacks and Comments?
• Posts vs Pages?
• Popular Wordpress Features and how they work?
• Upgrades?
• How to get a domain and hosting?
• Installing wordpress.org?
• Third Party themes or hiring a designer?
• Plugins?
• Basic blogging info like: copyright and image rules, SEO, feeds, boosting subscribers, social networking, web analytics and more?
• How to use wordpress.org to monetize your blog?

All of this and more is included in this thorough guide. Whether you are thinking of starting a basic free blog on wordpress, you have a wordpress blog but are thinking of switching to wordpress.org and your own hosting or you are on blogger or typepad and are thinking of switching, this book has what you need.

I just bought domains for my blogs and will be starting a new blog on wordpress and eventually moving some or all of my blogger blogs over to wordpress so I already have referred to this book many times and I will again many more times over the next while.

As with all Complete Idiot’s Guides book, the information is laid out well, with a thorough table of contents so you can always find exactly what you need. Computer screenshots show you what to look for when you are following along trying to accomplish something.

Keep your eye out for one of four little graphics that signal an important piece of information. Definitions, Insider Secrets, Quick Tips and when to Proceed with Caution.

Also check out these Quick Guides from IdiotsGuides.com

Placing Ads in your Wordpress Blog
Setting Up Your Wordpress Blog Feed
How to Find and Hire a Designer for your Wordpress Blog

*Disclosure: I received the product(s) mentioned above free of charge by the company or PR representative for evaluation purposes. No other compensation was provided.

Easy to Follow Strength Training Guide for Women

I love getting more bang for my buck!  Whether it is a dinner that doubles as a whole new meal the next night with a few tweaks, or a reversible dress I love getting more for less!  In working out I feel the same.  If I can get a better workout in less time then I am all for it!  I love weight lifting for that reason.  When you lift weights you burn calories, build muscles, and raise your heart rate all at the same time.  This easy to follow guide gives you a great overview for working out the major muscle groups.  A good rule of thumb is to use weights that weigh enough to fatigue your muscles by the 8th-12th rep. Then do 3 sets of 8-12 reps.  Give your muscles a day of rest in between strenuous workouts.  This is when the muscle repairs itself and builds strength.  If you plan to workout every day then alternate muscle groups.  For instance work upper body then lower body the following day to allow your muscles to rest.  So print this out, grab 20 minutes and work those muscles!  You will feel it!

Photo from  believe-in-your-beauty.tumblr

cute distraction

Meet Dublin, our new kitty.  My husband calls him my mid-life crisis. 



Ahem, at least it's just a kitty.

10 Workouts to Tone Your Trouble Zones!

It is that time again.. Summer is almost here and you have to working out now if you want to be feeling good in your shorts, suits and tanks!  So here are a few workouts to knock out muffin top, back fat, bulging butts, and other trouble spots.  Read on and get after it!

1) Top 10 exercises to Train Your Trouble Zones!

Need to get rid of saddlebags, arm flab, or a muffin top? Use these moves to fight flab at home—and win! Get this great workout by Shape magazine HERE.

2) 7 Quirky Moves for Flatter Abs

"Conventional ab exercises get results—but let’s face it, they’re boring as heck. To help you rock a flat belly in a bikini (or anytime of the year), we found easy, fun ways to tone your belly at the office, while cooking—even at the beach!" Get the workout HERE.

3) Fit in 6 minutes- Arm sculptor.  

Found on PInterest and I could not source it

4) So Long Spill Over Spots! Trouble Spot Toning Workout.

Want to blast off back fat, bra rolls, muffin tops, and more? These targeted 5-minute 

workouts will have you sleek and toned in just 2 weeks.  

Click here for Prevention Magazines trouble spot toning workout.

5)  Dr Oz's "Saddle Bag Workout"

Watch the simple to follow "Saddle Bag Workout" by Dr. Oz for 4 easy moves to get rid of saddlebags.

6)  15 Minute Bye-Bye Arm Jiggle Workout

This was posted on Pinterest and there was no source available (even after digging around).

7)  10 Minute Workout- Hips, Hips, Away!

"This express workout targets a favorite trouble zone: your hips. Do this 10-minute workout developed by Marcus Minier, exercise physiologist at The Gym in New York City, three times a week along with five days of cardio, and we guarantee that you'll have the slimmer hips you deserve in no time!" Get this workout from Fitness Magazine Here.

8)  Dr. Oz's Fat Butt- Busting Workout

If you want a good butt workout I would do multiples of these exercises above in one workout for a while to see results much faster than one exercise a day.

9)Flat Abs Fast-The Core Strengthening Workout

These belly-flattening exercises work your core from the front, sides, and back for strong, sculpted abs.

Get the whole workout from Fitness Magazine HERE.

10)  Bikini Body 8 Week Program

Ok so if the other workouts were not hard core enough this may be the workout for you! I checked it out and bikini wearer or not this WILL shape you up! Check it out here.

Hope you found some workouts that will help.  Have a favorite you want to share?  Just post it in the comments.  I love hearing from you guys!

back at it

summer in the mountains

mystic

After an unexpected sickcation, I'm painting again.  And the sun is finally coming out, the birds are chirping, and there are starts in my veggie garden.  So things are definitely looking up. 



Spring is my favorite season.  The cherry blossoms and magnolias are absolutely stunning.  And I love the smell of the air at this time.  It smells fresh, particularly after a rainfall, and sometimes there's a trace of sweetness from a flowering bush.



As the seasons change, so does my color palette.  I'm moving away from dark, wintery colors to warmer and softer tones.  Here's a snapshot of what I started yesterday:

It's Mont Blanc.  I was going through some older photographs, and I found a black and white picture I took of the mountain in '98.  Mont Blanc is a beautiful mountain.  There is a feminine nature to its rounded summit.  I can understand why it's sometimes referred to as La Dame Blanche (The White Lady).

EASY Homemade Whole Wheat Tortillas Step by Step

I enjoy eating delicious healthy homemade food which necessitates learning how to cook healtthy homeade food.  While I really don't mind cooking and can quite enjoy it at the right moments. However, I just don't seem to have a lot of time with 4 small children aged 1-7, homeschool, and housekeeping.   So I was excited to find a great recipe on budget bytes for easy homemade tortillas.  I love food...and homemade is always better and if it is fast and easy too I am that much happier! 

 I found my inspiration recipe here from Budget Bytes. I love this blog with all the easy photo tutorials of recipes with all the price breakdowns and yummy food.  She definitely puts gourmet, delicious food within reach of even the poorest average Joe!  I changed up her tortilla recipe because I wanted to get rid of the white flour and didn't mind adding a little more oil to keep it soft and moist while it became 100% whole wheat.  So here is the super easy recipe. 

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

2 Tbsp olive oil or melted coconut oil

3/4-1 cup warm water  (depending on the moisture content of the flour you use)

Mix your dry ingredients together till well blended.  Next combine your melted coconut oil (read here on the health benefits of coconut oil) or olive oil and warm water.  Gradually add the liquid in a slow steady stream to your dry ingredients.  Knead it all together till you have a ball and continue kneading once it has come together for about 1 minute.  Now let it rest covered with at damp towel for about 10 minutes.  

Split the dough up into 12 even pieces, and roll them into small balls.  The easiest way to get them divided up evenly is to start by breaking the dough up into 4 equal pieces and then dividing each of those chunks up into 3 even pieces leaving you with 12 small balls. Once they have been shaped into balls let them rest for 10 more minutes.

 You will most likely look at those small balls of dough thinking they are way too small to make 6" tortillas.  However, as you continue to roll them out they will stretch out to the right size.  In order to get the elasticity needed be sure not to forget either of the rest periods mentioned in the directions.  They should be about the thickness of poster board according to Budget Bytes.

 Now just throw on a hot dry skillet over medium heat and watch the magic happen!

 Once the bubbles start to form  flip them over and cook until both sides are done.

You will soon have  a delicious stack of homemade tortillas that taste fantastic and are completely healthy! Be sure not to cook them too long or they will become brittle as opposed to soft.

You can store them in a zip lock bag in the fridge.  We like to throw them in the toaster to warm them up and they make GREAT open faced peanut butter sandwiches, delicious bean or breakfast burritos,  as a stand alone snack with butter or coconut oil on them and a touch of honey and cinnamon.... There are endless possibilities.  One of my favorite things about them is that you can make them in no time flat.  No more dependence on store bought bread or tortillas.  You can save a bundle by cooking them up yourself!  Let me know what you think.