Gluten Free Pizza dough

Tonight's dinner was delicious. We walk, alot, and lately our walks have taken us past Little Ceasars pizza which always leads Adelle to ask, "when can we have pizza, mom?" Tonight when Emmett was on the counter helping me make the crust and the other kids asked what we were having for dinner they practically jumped through the ceiling when I said pizza.
It was a win all the way around.
Nothing really better then sending your 4 year old outside to the back garden to pick tomatoes, then blending them up in the Ninja with some onion and garlic for homemade pizza sauce.
Then I found this online recipe for gluten free crust and just so happened to have all the ingredients to make it. Yum. It was amazing. I didn't add the powdered milk but I followed everything else to the tee. We usually have lots of left over pizza but not this time. The measly 3 pieces that are left will not feed my family lunch tomorrow. Dang.

Vita-Smoothie

This weather is unbeatable. I love it!!

I decided after school today that we all needed something I named a 

Vita-Smoothie!

I may not have a Vitamix yet but my Ninja did the job for us today quite well.

 NutriVerus is a supplement that we all take and that I am a distributor for. It's amazing stuff and I love have the powder form. I usually just mix it in a bit of water but today I put 2 heaping scoops into our smoothie.

If you are interested you can check out this link

 Then I added 1/2 cup of Hemp Milk. This is the only milk my kids and I drink. Jeff hasn't jumped on the bandwagon yet but he is almost there. He doesn't like the taste. The kids really like it and it's packed with good Omega 3 fatty acids which are really good for brain development and mood among other things. Plus it's dairy free.

I also added 2 Tbs. of unrefined coconut oil. I am so excited to hear that Costco is carrying this now. It's organic, extra virgin, unrefined, and super reasonably priced at Costco. My Gramy brought me this huge tub yesterday. So I am stocked for a while.

Coconut oil is a great immune booster, yeast/bacteria killer, and healthy fat. My kids eat it by the spoonful when I let them.

So here was our smoothie, it's long gone now:

1 cup ice cubes

1 apple

1 banana

2 italian prunes (thanks to my Uncle Brian's tree)

1/2 cup blueberries

1 packed cup of spinach

1/2 cup Hemp Milk

2 scoops NutriVerus

2 Tbs. Coconut Oil

Blend away and Enjoy!

Got Zucchini??

If you live where we live you probably have zucchini coming out of your ears by now... or in the near future.

This morning I whipped up 3 loaves of this recipe and it was absolutely delicious! My mom has family in town and I thought it would be a delightful homemade snack for them all, Washington style :)

The zucchini bread is gluten-free and totally moist, soft, and yummy.

I saved a loaf for my own family and they devoured it.

Also, I didn't use sugar, I subbed honey. The recipe calls for a cup of brown sugar and I used 1/2 - 3/4 cup local honey instead (cause remember, I don't really measure).

Enjoy!

Raspberry Rhubarb Jam

Well I guess this year I am changing it up a bit.

Some of you know this recipe that I have always used and LOVED in years past. I still highly recommend it.

However, when I was ready to make jam this morning I realized I didn't have any of the Knox Original Flavored Gelatin. Running to the store would have been too inconvenient at the moment so...

I found this new recipe and gave it a shot.

I substituted the raspberries for the strawberries and I used less water than they suggested and didn't drain the rhubarb. I didn't want to risk loosing some flavor...but everything else is as is.

I can't say that I've tried it yet but it looks delicious and it is a way lower sugar alternative to a lot of the other jam recipes out there.

My little girl helped me whip this up while the boys played outside. She saw all the sugar and asked, "is jam good for us, mom?" I explained that when we eat it sometimes, it's ok, but yes, there is a lot of sugar in jam so we can't eat it all the time. It is a special treat. I also explained to her that since we are making it ourselves it is better for us than buying it at the store and she wanted to know why...

So there was a lot of questions and a lot of learning but I love how my children are understanding better the  makeup of their bodies and the effect that good food has on them. 

The Magic School Bus books we have been reading this summer have been helping with this as well ;)

Sugar is Toxic!

With more and more research and evidence it is interesting to me that people still consume sugar in such large amounts. Here is a video that I thought was worth the 20 minutes to watch.
Enjoy!

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7403942n

Quote of the night

"You can't exercise your way out of a bad diet!"

-Caroline Barringer

Homemade Strawberry "Icecream"

I have a feeling I am going to love my ninja even more this summer.

The other day the cousins were over and everyone was hot and hungry for a snack.

I whipped up this little bit of deliciousness:

1 banana

2 cups of ice

1 cup of plain vanilla kefir

1 cup frozen strawberries

1/2 a lemon (just peeled, not juiced... that pulp is good stuff for ya!)

Wa la!

Best Cornbread Ever!

Do you love cornbread?
Like really like it, a lot.
I do. And so does my husband and so do our kids.
However, the regular Marie Calendar's Cornbread mix totally makes my tummy turn. I don't know what it is but I eat it (or, I used to eat it) and it tasted delicious and then after dinner I would feel awful. I don't know, maybe it was just me but I needed an alternative.
One day while grocery shopping at Fred Meyer I saw Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Corn Meal. I picked it up and was looking at it only to find a homemade cornbread RECIPE on the back. Yes! There were a lot of ingredients that I didn't have so since I was at the store I bought all the ingredients I needed.

My husband LOVES cornbread and he says this recipe is the best he has ever tasted. It's so yummy and it doesn't hurt my tummy.

Here is the recipe.

Here are my personal alterations:

I don't use milk, I use Kefir. Plain Kefir.

I don't use canola oil. I use butter. Same amount of melted butter as it calls for oil.

I don't use Sorghum Flour ( I must have missed this at the store because I don't have any and have never tried it) I use almond meal. Same amount as it calls for Sorghum Flour.

That's it.

Try it!

And yes, the ingredients are odd and they are a bit expensive, BUT, you only use a small amount each time. I have made this cornbread 2 times already since buying all the ingredients and there is still plenty left to make at least 2 more batches.

these are two of my current favorite things

This cereal is awesome!! I eat it with hemp milk in the morning lately. I am usually a "no cereal" kind of lady. Generally cereal is packed with sugar and simple carbohydrates and I am a huge advocate for a more protein based breakfast but for some reason during this pregnancy, and actually all of them, I want cold cereal and milk. So, this is what I give myself. And it's good. It hits the spot, it is low in sugar and a good source of protein. The hemp milk, which is not new, I always use hemp milk, is a good source of Omega 3, so I feel satisfied with this breakfast option for now.
It's not an everyday thing, but in rotation with poached eggs on toast and coconut quinoa (just quinoa that I cook in part water, part coconut milk, with a bit of cinnamon.

The salad dressing is amazing!! This is what I have been putting on my massaged kale and it's oh so good! Jeff likes it too. I massage my kale, then I add grape tomatoes, cucumber, some bell pepper, and this dressing. Let it sit for a while at room temperature and eat. Yum. Oh, and sunflower seeds too.
This dressing is created by nutritionists and the first ingredient is apple cider vinegar. There are so many health benefits to this stuff and I have been basically drinking it up.

My hormones are doing crazy/amazing things to my body but I am trying to continue to eat healthy in the ways that I can stand. It's not easy, which is probably why I devoured the old fashioned doughnut my husband brought home for me today. Thanks sweetheart.

Do you massage your kale?

You should!!!

I made this Massaged Kale Salad this morning and I already took a taste. Delicious!! Actually, I didn't really follow the recipe.... but I did massage the kale in the lemon juice and I did use the olive oil and honey.... I guess I followed it except I didn't use mango. I don't have any. So instead I used a bunch of orange and yellow bell pepper, some grape tomatoes, and sunflower seeds. Can't wait to eat this fresh lunch later!

The whole Kale thing is love/hate for me. I love that it is so nutrient packed but I still can't really get myself to say I like the taste of it..... that is until now. Massaging it in lemon juice makes all the difference. It takes out the bitter and adds a little zing and it's seriously delicious!

Lot's of stuff going on around here. Can that be my excuse for not blogging much??? Here is my table as of now to prove it! Waffles for the sleepy head who wakes up when she has to because her brother goes in to get dressed for school. She is lucky we saved her some breakfast. Homemade cards and treats for Teacher Appreciation Week. Braxton is a champ and likes to do it all himself. We love his teachers!! The rest is pretty self explanatory. I am going to go clean up now.

Happy Sunny Wednesday!

Pregnancy Cocktail

So this is what I have been drinking, pretty regularly for the past 17 weeks. I can handle water better now but at first the thought of drinking water really was unappetizing. So I settled for this. A glass with crushed ice, filled with sparkling water, and then topped off with just like 1/4 cup unsweetened cranberry juice. This may just be my most favorite, "healthy" drink, ever. Try it!

"i yike dis mom!!"

We have snack time every day after we pick up Braxton from school. It's a special time of day for us.

I don't give my kids a snack whenever they ask. I don't think it's good for their systems to constantly be digesting food. So we have designated times, and it works for us. If they ask for a snack during a not snack time it usually just means they are bored. I don't starve my kids, promise.

Sometimes we have homemade pie for after school snack. This is a special treat and the whole time they eat it I hear them saying how good it is and M repeats, "i yike dis, mom!"
Pie is one of my weaknesses. I love pie!! This is probably why I make it and let my kids eat it for snack. It was either share with them or eat the whole thing myself, so I shared!

If you are wondering if I think pie is healthy the answer is yes, in moderation. I make it myself using good ingredients. There are not any preservatives or additives. Just good old pie. Nothing wrong with that once in a while in my book. Obviously I don't think white flour and sugar are good for you, but once in a while if that's the worst thing you eat I think you are in good shape. It's all the artificial coloring's and preservatives that I have issues with.

Another snack that we've had this week as the sun has shown is smoothies. Yum! These are a favorite too and super fast, easy to make. Here is what I had, so here is what they got, all blended together to perfection....
1 banana
1 Tbs. orange juice concentrate
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup frozen raspberries
1 cup spinach
1 cup plain kefir
touch of water

This was super refreshing and after I poured their's I was stoked that there was plenty left for the momma. Now I will go sip with my lil sippers.

Happy Friday!

Yum Yum Lunch

I know, I'm a lousy blogger lately. I have some excuses but I will get into those later... or maybe I won't but either way.

Here is a quickie lunch recipe that I came up with.
Organic corn tortilla
Spread with hummus
topped with veggies (I used peppers, tomatoes, and cabbage this time!)
Roll up.
Eat it!

Crunchy Quinoa Salad

My good friend Andrea inspired this recipe. I saw the recipe she posted yesterday here and improvised it to what I had and what I wanted the salad to be. It worked!

So I am soaking my brown rice now. I rinse my rice and then drain it and put it in my crockpot. Then I cover it with an extra 2 inches of boiling water and put the lid on. There it sits overnight. Not on, just soaking in what I tell myself is hot water, at least part of the time. In the morning I turn the crockpot on high and add some coconut milk to cook it in. You cook rice in a 1:2 ratio, rice to liquid so I follow that and it cooks in my crockpot, after soaking all night, on high for about 2 hours. It's yummy and supposed to be better for the digestive tract this way.

Ok, that being said.... I had cooked brown rice in my fridge so this recipe came about in less than a half hour. Sweet.

I cooked the Quinoa following the package directions but I used light coconut milk instead of water to cook it in. (light coconut milk is just coconut milk and water, no fake sugar or anything). While the Quinoa was cooking I chopped up the following:

1 green apple

2 stalks celery

1/4 fresh pineapple

I added this to the Quinoa when it was fluffy and stirred it right in with some fresh lemon juice. Then I added 1/3 cup raw sunflower and a handful of dried cherries (no added sugar. I dried them myself last summer and they were hard and brittle but the hot quinoa took care of that nicely.)

Last I added some leftover rice from my fridge. It was cold but when I mixed it in everything was about the same temperature.

Super Yummy! Refreshing and filling and (you know me) PROTEIN PACKED!

I didn't add any sweetener so it wasn't super sweet but the coconut milk added the flavor it needed and the lemon juice added some sour along with the green apples. The pineapple also sweetened but the unsalted raw seeds added the perfect crunch and texture. And I love celery, I think every salad deserves that crispness that celery brings. The cherries, more sweet but I didn't add a ton and this is how I got my little girl to taste it. Adelle loved this salad, she ate 3 helpings and that was worth the cherries for me ;) She will not be my picky eater forever!

pumpkin pancakes/pudding

Well this was a total experiment that turned out fantastic. I love it when that happens. My kids are usually my guinea pigs and this breakfast today was a favorite. There wasn't even enough when they all wanted more!

Last night we attempted to have oven roasted butternut squash (I bought it pre-cut in a package for convenience). BUT, it was totally pumpkin. It was stringy and we couldn't quite down it with dinner. Who wants to eat pumpkin when you are expecting to eat squash? Not us, at least not last night.

Of course I didn't throw it away. I put it in the fridge and this morning I threw it in my blender to make breakfast.

Here are the steps:

Preheat oven to 350

In the blender blend:

1 cup pumpkin (mine was fresh but you could used canned)

1/3 cup light coconut milk (it's part coconut milk, part water)

1 1/2 cups almond meal

vanilla (Emmett did this part and he got a little carried away, maybe thats why they were so good. I'm sure there was a good 2 Tbs. in there)

salt (just a dash)

cinnamon (to your liking)

1 tsp. baking powder

2 eggs

1 Tbs. softened butter or coconut oil (I used butter today)

Blend it all up and pour.

So the reason I didn't fry these is because they don't flip well. I have failed at this in the past, they are too soft. So at first attempt this morning I poured the batter in circles on my pizza stone and baked for 12ish minutes. This worked great but then they were gone and who wants to wait 12 more minutes.

So my second attempt I poured the rest in a pie pan and baked it for 15ish minutes. Then I brought it out and served it up that way. Much better.

The consistency was like a thick, warm, pudding. It was so yummy. I put some coconut oil on top and let it melt and seep in there.

The kids loved this breakfast. We will be doing this again but I will skip the little pancakes and go straight for the pie pan. Yes!

No Sugar !

No dairy !

No flour !

Happy St. Patrick's Day

from some jolly, green, coconut lovers!

Candida

It never fails. People ask me questions about certain ailments they are fighting. People tell my symptoms they are suffering from that never go away. 99 % of the time it is because they are suffering from Candida and they don't even know it. I was suffering from Candida last year and I didn't even know it. Then I got sick and I couldn't get better. What was going on?????
CANDIDA!!
But I didn't have yeast infections! Isn't that what Candida means????
This was the argument in my head over and over until I took this test and realized that I was in bad shape. Not because I was super unhealthy but a little sugar here, a little stress there, a few pregnancies.... It all added up to a Candida overgrowth and since cleansing and overcoming it I feel like a new person.
Seriously!
So take the test here and I will be back with some pointers. If you need them, but I am pretty sure you will. I really think almost everyone I know is suffering from this in one way or another. You can hide from it for a while.... but not forever. At least not comfortably :)

the taste of love

Man! Do you see the little loaf of bread in this picture? That is the taste of love. Seriously! Ask anyone in my family. There were 2 loaves, now there is 1. Soon there will be none.

Are we a bread family? Nope. Do I think bread is healthy? Nope. Not usually. But I have been soaking my flour and the stuff is heavenly. That, and I am not feeling the bloated, gassy way that bread usually makes me feel.

So Wednesday night before bed I poured a ton of whole wheat flour into my Kitchenaid mixer. Probably at least 4 cups, maybe more. I topped that with a full 32oz of plain Kefir (unsweetened) and mixed until the flour was all moist. Then I left it. Thursday, left it some more. Tonight (Friday) I took the nice, digestible, fermented dough and made love. Ha. No pun intended :)

I mixed the dough with my dough hook and added 5 eggs, 1 Tbs. salt, 2 Tbs. Baking Powder, 2 Tbs. Vanilla, 2 Tbs. cinnamon, 1/2 cup raw honey, and 1 cube of melted butter. Then I prepared 2 loaf pans and poured the dough/batter into them evenly, half full. Baked it at 350 for 35 minutes. Let cool in pan. Take out of pan to finish cooling.
Devour!
My husband and kids seriously thought I fell off my rocker when I served them this bread with their dinner. Again, it is protein packed with all the kefir and eggs!

There was some dough left (after Emmett's fingers were licked clean) in the bowl and so I made some waffles to have in the freezer. Those will surely make a busy morning more delightful in the near future.

I'm into this soaking thing!

My college roomate, Jena, sent me this link that inspired this recipe. Thanks Jena! Download the FREE E-book and check it out!!
But hurry, this stuff takes days!!

Nothin' but the Nugget

In a blender/food processor blend together 2 cooked chicken breasts ( I actually used like 7 cooked chicken tenders) with 2 eggs and a dash of salt.

Blend until smooth, dough like (Adelle kept asking if she could eat the dough!!)

Spoon into small balls and roll in almond meal (just plain old almond meal). I used Bob's Red Mill.

Flatten into shapes (next time I will get fancy! Today I was in a hurry so I just flattened them into blobs.)

Bake in 400 oven for 15 minutes.

Enjoy!





My Friend, Erryn, shared this recipe with me and I thought it sounded too good to be true. Nope. Totally true. Totally easy. Totally yummy. Totally doing this again and again and again.

I thought it would be fun to get a bunch of mom's together and make up a bunch to throw in the freezer. I have been buying the organic chicken nuggets at the store and they are SO expensive. I still use organic chicken and it is still more expensive but I love how few ingredients are in these. Less is always more when it comes to ingredients in my book. If you are local and like the idea of getting together and mass producing these chicken nuggets let me know!

Next time I will add a bit more salt. They were a tad blah, but the kids of course dip them in ketchup so they didn't notice.

I love that they are pure protein! I am all about that. Just chicken, eggs, and almond meal. NO additives whatsoever. Perfection!

And since my little Adelle's favorite food is chicken nuggets..... we are in business!
(excuse the blue, my blogger has a mind of it's own lately ;)

Physical Health

Jess you inspired this post ;)

So Wednesday night is my night to exercise. I play basketball up at my church with a whole bunch of great ladies. It's such a sanity saver and I so look forward to Wednesday nights. 2 hours of running up and down a basketball court does the body so good!!

Jeff laughs that we now have jerseys. Not me, I feel official!

I am so glad I have this outlet. I have tried to start running again but it's so hard for me! There is always something going on, or something else that I give higher priority. This is something I am really trying to work on. I buddied up with a friend recently and we decided we would trade kids so that the other could run, and vice-versa. It's great when it happens, but again a kid gets sick, it snows... it seems like something always comes up to rain on my running parade.

So, here is to focusing more on physical health. I feel so great after a good sweat and I know my body and my mind appreciate it. I will do better. Thank you Wednesday night!

Brown Rice and Chicken/Vegetable Curry

This meal double timed it this week. I made it for our family and then I made it and brought it over to my mom and dad, who have been sick. I love serving my mom and dad. They are those people who are always doing nice things for others and I love when I can find something nice to do for them. They are both working full time so I thought a nice warm dinner to come home to would hit the spot.
I snuck over in the morning and plugged in both crock pots, and when they got home. Viola!

Super easy meal requires two crock pots.

In the first one, smaller one, mine is a 3 quart, I fill half full with brown rice. Then top with water to exceed rice 2 inches. Turn on low until done, about 3-4 hours. (or high for 2+ hours)

In the second crock pot (5 quart) put:
1 cup water
1 chicken bullion cube
2 frozen chicken breasts
1 onion, chopped
6 carrots, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 can coconut milk
2 Tbs. curry powder

Cook on low for 5ish hours. I am so bad about timing things. When it smells good, check it and go from there until it is done. Yum.
Pour the coconut curry over the rice to serve.
This is mild for curry. I would do more but I don't know how the kids would do so for now this is curry enough for them.

Enjoy!

Overnight Buttermilk Pancakes

Today was my week to teach to the preschoolers of which my daughter is part of. It's a cooperative program and the mom's rotate teaching.

Our letter today was P and so I thought it would be to have all of us wear pajamas and eat pancakes for snack.

Yes! It was deliciously, comfortably fun!

So my usual pancakes are a combo of pumpkin/squash, almond meal, blended beans.... and I wasn't sure how all the preschoolers would react. So I decided to go a little more traditional and just use whole wheat flour. I have been reading a bit on soaking flour before using it to break down the phytates and make it more digestible so I decided to give it a try.

I got a lot of my information here on why to soak grains before eating them.

I found the recipe here, and they were delicious!

Sourdough bread is delicious and the next challenge for me will be to create a good starter and start making my own sourdough bread. It's making me hungry just thinking about it.

I typically don't use bread a bunch because of the high sugar content and high carb. count. Plus, I usually feel bloated after eating bread.

BUT Bread is SO GOOD you say, and my kids say it too, so maybe this whole overnight thing will be our fix. It was a hit for breakfast!! That's for sure!

Also I don't normally do dairy either but I did use the Cultured Buttermilk this time. I will have to experiment with vinegar/lemon juice to see what I can come up with.

I would love to hear if you have done this and what worked/didn't work for you. AND, if you have a good sourdough starer please share :)

Supplement Monday

Today's supplement is a Homeopathic Remedy.
Have you heard of Homeopathic Medicine? Here is a brief overview that I found http://abchomeopathy.com/homeopathy.htm.

What are Homeopathics?

Homeopathic remedies (also called homeopathics) are a system of medicine based on three principles:

Like cures like
For example, if the symptoms of your cold are similar to poisoning by mercury, then mercury would be your homeopathic remedy.
Minimal Dose
The remedy is taken in an extremely dilute form; normally one part of the remedy to around 1,000,000,000,000 parts of water.
The Single Remedy
No matter how many symptoms are experienced, only one remedy is taken, and that remedy will be aimed at all those symptoms.
Similar principals forms the basis of conventional allergy treatment, where the allergic substance is given in a small dose, and in vaccines where an impotent form of the virus is given to bolster the immune system against that particular virus.

Why use Homeopathics?

Homeopathy is the second most widely used system of medicine in the world. Its growth in popularity in the United States has been around 25 to 50 percent a year throughout the last decade.

This success is fueled by several factors:

Homeopathy is extremely effective. When the correct remedy is taken, results can be rapid, complete and permanent.
Homeopathy is completely safe. Even babies and pregnant women can use Homeopathy without the danger of side effects. Homeopathic remedies can also be taken alongside other medication without producing unwanted side effects.
Homeopathy is natural. Homeopathic remedies are normally based on natural ingredients.
Homeopathy works in harmony with your immune system, unlike some conventional medicines which suppress the immune system. (For example, cough medicines suppress the cough reflex, which is your body's attempt to clear the lungs)
Homeopathic remedies are not addictive - once relief is felt, you should stop taking them. If no relief is felt, you are probably taking the wrong homeopathic remedy.
Homeopathy is holistic. It treats all the symptoms as one, which in practical terms means that it addresses the cause, not the symptoms. This often means that symptoms tackled with Homeopathy do not recur.


The name of this remedy is Histaminum Hydrochloricum. I don't know how to pronounce it but you won't have too. You can go to a Vitamin Store or a local Co-op and find it on the shelf. The remedy is used for Allergic Reactions.

Here is my own personal story.

I first found out about homeopathic medicine when my oldest was a teething baby. My mom bought him the classic Hyland's brand teething tablets and they worked wonders. I continued to buy them and recommended them to friends/family.

My next experience was even more life changing. It was during the delivery of my second baby. My water had broke 24 hours prior and my labor was not progressing. I had a midwife and she was getting concerned that my water had broke but no contractions. She gave me one dose of another homeopathic remedy ( I have no idea what it even was) and my 9 lb. 6 oz. baby girl was born a mere 2 hours later. Almost painless. It was the most amazing thing I have ever experienced to this day. She was big and healthy and I was comfortable almost the whole time. Magical.

Since then I have used homeopathic remedies for kids earaches, pink eye, and even skin rashes.

Getting to my point... I promise.

So a while back I bought some remedies just to have on hand. My own personal preparedness if you will. I bought the one I am posting about now: Histaminum Hydrochloricum. It is forAllergic Reactions and I thought it would be a good one to have on the shelf in case of emergency. It was.

A few weeks ago my mom gave Emmett a small handful of cashews. Not her fault. Adelle was eating them and Emmett wanted some and I was a little hesitant because he had never had them and my husband doesn't tolerate them well but I figured, "we won't know till we try," and I said he could have some. He only had a few. Shortly after his face blew up, his ears got big and red, he got a full body red rash of hives all over his body. Yikes. This had never happened to any of my kids before. Did I panic? Yes! But only for a brief moment. My first thought was Benadryl. That would make the medical world happy, maybe. When I asked my husband if we had any he said, "you are actually going to give him Benadryl?" I have never given my kids even Tylenol so this was probably sounding crazy. But here is the thing. I am a mom. Something was happening to my child that had never happened before and I wanted the quickest fix. Right. That is what we mom's want. However, I stopped the frantic mode and I calmed myself down. I held my baby and I remembered the homeopathic remedy I had bought. I found it in the drawer and gave him 3 small pellets. Then I put him to nap. I knew he would be ok. We have that intuition, you know. He was. He woke up better and with one more dose the rash was gone by the end of the night.

I am thankful for this instance. It reminded me of how human it is to want a quick fix. It also reminded me of my power as a mother. I believe in Homeopathic healing. It has been tried and true in this house and it continues to work.

If you are interested in Homeopathic remedies I would encourage you to research it a bit. Also if you have an ailment research a Homeopathic remedy and give it a try. They are safe and I have found them very effective.

"cheap food is an illusion..."

That is my favorite quote from the movie my husband and I just got done watching. It is only available for a few days so please take the time to watch it. It is one hour long but there is a lot of powerful information there.

I did not make my husband watch this video. He made me not stop it early!!! We just finished the whole thing and we are glad we did. This is real stuff, people!


Click here to watch the video.

Soup in a BOX

I bought this soup the other day because there are those times when you just need to grab something for a quick meal. If all you have is Top Ramen, then that is what you will grab. So, I like to have some healthy, quick options, on hand at all times.

This soup is diary free, Gluten free. You have to watch the labels though because this brand often uses dairy in their soups. In this one they use coconut milk instead.

This soup is delicious (we love curry!) The curry is mild though and the soup has a small amount of sweet and spice. My husband really liked this soup. He came home from working outside in the wind and rain and this was the perfect lunch. We ate it with some sprouted grain crackers. I'm not sure if my kids would have liked this. It may be a little too spicy. They ate lunch at a Birthday party so....I don't know. I didn't offer them any.

I bought it at Fred Meyer but I know Haggen and The Co-op also carry this brand of soup. As does Trader Joes.... I'm pretty sure :)

Family Favorite Fish

Sorry no picture. It's been a crazy week around here with field trips, Birthday parties, and everyone getting well after having a cold.

Last night's dinner is a family favorite: Baked Cod and Butternut Squash
Here is all I did.

Preheat oven to 350

In my stoneware pan I put a layer of Butternut Squash (peeled and cut into cubes) and 3 TBS. Coconut oil.
Set the timer and cook for 50-60 minutes (or until tender).

Then work on the cod

Baked Cod:

2 lbs. fresh cod
(lay out on a cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil for easy clean up!)

1/4 cup melted butter : melt butter in a dish and then spoon out onto the fish to cover the fish evenly. I don't use a pastry brush but I spose you could.

1/3 cup panko : lightly sprinkle over fish, evenly again
(you can use whatever here: cracker crumbs, crushed corn flakes.... we like Panko!!)

little salt: dash on top with some parsley flakes

When your timer from the squash has about 20 minutes left throw the fish in the oven as well. Cook until done (about 20 minutes).

YOU KNOW THE COD IS DONE WHEN IT IS WHITE AND FLAKEY. IF YOU STICK YOUR FORK IN IT AND IT SPLITS EASILY IT IS DONE.

Serve with lemon on the side!

We also had sugar snap peas. Crunch. Munch. Crunch.

And Costco sells Butternut Squash already cut into cubes. THANK YOU!! Butternut Squash is a real pain to prepare because of the thick peel and weird shape and seeds. I feel like I am always throwing a ton of it away. So now when I get the chance I buy it in the produce at Costco and it is a dream to open the package and pour into the pan.

Healthy Lifestyle Class

This is my awesome friend, Brenda. Some of you met her the other night when she came down from Canada and helped me with a little health seminar.
She is a massive source of knowledge! If you are wanting to learn more about the healthy options you have I would highly recommend taking this class.
Follow the link for more information.
She is considering doing a class down here if there is enough interested.
You can contact her directly based on the information in the link.


http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Pretty-Sweet-Weight-Loss-Wellness-News-from-CLM.html?soid=1101424027260&aid=0j6E7T3b9oQ

Always more to learn

One of the biggest inhibitors to eating healthy is there is so much information out there that you need to learn for yourself. I LOVE learning new things, but at the same time it is so frustrating when I have been doing something, thinking it is good, and then I learn that it is not! (or not as good as I thought at least).

Nuts is one of those things. I love nuts. They have made up probably about 1/4 of my diet for the past 6 years. When I was nursing my first son everything made his tummy hurt except for trail mix so that is all that I ate and he liked it. I liked it, and I lost weight, and I was always full. Since then I have always eaten large amounts of nuts, especially almonds.

Last night while doing some research I learned that I should actually be soaking and drying my nuts before I eat them. What? How come I never knew that before? So last night they soaked all night, in sea salt water. Than this morning they are on my dehydrator where they will be for the next 10 hours. We will see how this goes. One more step, but I am used to steps by now :)

I think I may be onto something too. My youngest loves to eat nuts but often they come out the way they went in and that tells me they are not being digested completely. So hopefully this will help with that!


Read about how/why I am soaking/drying my nuts here!

This is me, being PASSIONATELY BLUNT!

Ok so consider yourselves warned. I am on one! I thought it was worth sharing and really, I am not pointing my finger at anyone in particular. Just society, I guess.
Today I was lucky to get to attend a field trip with Braxton's Kindergarten class. We went to the local High School and toured their Agricultural Dept. (which is like the best in the county!!) It was really fabulous. The kids got to plant their own flowers, pet baby farm animals, and watch a student work on a welding project. They also got to see the fish being raised in big tanks. It was really interesting especially since my husband went to the said school and never even told me it had any of those features.

We get to the school and after the first demonstration they take us into a classroom and give all the kids goldfish crackers and Capri-Sun. Ok, so here we go. First of all, they aren't hungry. We just barely got there and they hadn't really even done anything. Do you know that eating sugary, processed food like that actually makes you more hungry. It does so here they are giving them junk when they aren't hungry, only to make them more hungry. Second of all, in about 5 minutes they are all going to have to use the bathroom, which we were not allotted time to do. And lastly, there was nothing even remotely decent about the "snack" they decided to give our children. Pure sugar, high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, way too much sodium....

So here is my thing. As a parent this is extremely maddening. Do you hear what I'm saying? So here is my sweet boy who I seldom ever give fishy crackers or Capri-Sun, in a classroom with his friends eating garbage. I am not going to remind him that we don't eat things like that. I am not going to tell the high schoolers, "you know this stuff is garbage, right?" So what is a lady to do? Just stand by?

People are always telling me, moderation, moderation, moderation, and I am so sick of it. I get moderation. I live it. I am not a food snob. I really AM NOT! I will argue that all day. When I go to my Grandma's I eat her grilled cheese she makes me on white bread with 7 layers of cheese and I love every bite. Seriously. Then we have dessert. But here is the thing. For how long does moderate work before it's not moderate anymore? My kids go to church where they are fed graham crackers in nursery. Ok, no problem, they have one graham cracker a week. Not going to hurt them. Then we go to a playdate/field trip and everyone is serving cupcakes, fishy crackers, graham crackers, Capri-Sun... Fine. One more day, not too bad. Braxton wants hot lunch once a week and it's pizza, chocolate milk, canned peaches...Then it's Valentine's Day and they get candy. I go VT, they come with and they get candy from the nice lady. We go visit family members, they get treats. Then it's their cousins birthday and they get cake.... it seriously never ends, and everyone thinks I am a freak. Is this the moderation that I should be o.k with?

The more I learn about nutrition the more carefully I want to watch what I eat and what I give my family to eat. You know it's like I can't just play dumb anymore. It kills me. I would never give my children drugs or alcohol so why would I give them overly processed, sugary foods and drinks. They have almost as severe adverse affects. Really!

Also, does the school not think about the children with ADHD or other learning difficulties. The other mom that I rode with over there was telling me her frustration because her son has ADHD and she has him on an extremely strict diet. That diet was completely blown today during the field trip. She was telling me how upset she was about it and I really felt for her.

So really, help me. I want to sometimes pick up my kids and drive out to the country and live there, off the fat of the land and nothing else. I feel like I have to stand alone a lot. It's hard. Not as much for me anymore but hard for my kids sometimes when everyone around them is eating junk in a free for all manner and I am limiting their intake. That's my job though, right. If everyone else was throwing their kid off a bridge would I? Nope!

People often tell me not to worry about it. I don't worry about it. I do something about it but I am starting to feel frustrated that everything I am doing is being undone by society. No one in particular. Just the way people are. The things they think are snacks. The way they show they care...

The public school system. They completely eliminated birthday treats at school because they were "unhealthy" but yet they serve chocolate milk every day at lunch. What? Does that even make sense to anyone? Do they really think that is healthy?

I am all about a Valentine treat, a birthday treat, a ..... BUT really, lunch should be lunch and a snack should be nutritious. When I send my kid to a birthday party I expect them to eat cake. But, when I send them on a field trip I don't expect them to eat a sugary snack.

Please don't think I am judging you if you give your kids goldfish crackers for snack. That is not my intention. Even if you give my kids goldfish crackers on occasion, it's ok. I don't think it's anyone's fault, I just think it's how our society is being run. By the ad companies and the foods they are promoting. By the fast, easy, convenient foods that would be o.k to eat once in a while but that once in a while is turning into multiple times a day. That is crazy to me! And then the unhealthy people everywhere and no-one putting two and two together.

I truly believe that this is why our society is unhealthy. It is because of what we put into our bodies. It is because everyone is too busy to make a homemade meal or cut up veggies for snack. If what you are eating is overly processed, then it is stripped of nutrients. It is empty calories doing your body more harm than good. Raising your blood sugar only to have it drop again and make you feel more hungry, irritable, depressed...It can poison us, literally, and that is what I don't want to happen to my children.

So do me a favor. Don't just read this and move on. Leave me a comment. If you think I am wacky, then tell me. If you see my point, please let me know because I don't want to be a huge downer/complainer. It is all just really fascinating to me. That's all.

Yes! love this, live by this!

dang, it's a bit small. If you want to read it click here.

Oh, and yes. I am making Bacon Wrapped Prawns for dinner. Fat is so Good!

Andrea's famous yummy Gluten Free, Black Bean, Cake Pops!

Ok so here is the deal. I LOVE making up recipes and I LOVE when they work out and people want them. But, please cite the source if you share. It's fair! Because I really will write a recipe book one day and it will not be fun if my recipes are already flying around everywhere!

These are filled with love too, so make sure you add a bit of that here and there!

3 cups Almond meal
3 eggs
1 cup coconut milk (not the light stuff, the real deal!)
1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut (more for the coating later)
1/2 cup Amaranth flour (this is gluten-free and a complete protein like quinoa).
1 cup pureed black beans (remember I soak the beans, cook them, DON'T DRAIN THEM, put them in my blender and liquify them).
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Baking Powder
3/4 tsp. Salt
1/2 cup Pure Maple Syrup

Mix that all together and pour into whatever you've got. I've done muffins, mini muffins, and now cake pops.
Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350.
Savor the guiltless pleasure!
If you are wondering where the oil, dairy, and wheat are at there is NONE!

Oh and for the fancy cake pops the kids dunked them in melted pure chocolate/coconut oil/honey and then rolled them in some more unsweetened coconut flakes.
Divine.

Easy Salmon/Veggie Dinner

Many of you have asked me what I cook for dinner and I often try to share recipes that are favorites. Last night was super easy. I was busy bike riding with my kids until after 4 so I threw this together.

I buy these salmon patties here
They are so good and so easy to make. I fry them on a skillet. No butter/oil, nothing. Just put them on, frozen and cook about 8 minutes on each side. Easy sneezy!
We don't eat them with a bun. Don't need those carbs. In the picture there is one whole one and then another one that I had cut up and divided among the kids. My kids each eat 1/2-1 whole depending on the kid and how hungry they are. Jeff eats 2 for dinner, I eat 1 + whatever the kids don't eat :)

The veggies was random. I had some cabbage in the fridge from tacos the other night and it was already chopped so I threw it in my stoneware pan with some asparagus on top. I topped that with about 1/4 cup coconut oil and cooked it at 350 for 1 hour (while we were on the bike ride this was cooking away).

So there you have it. Everything I make my whole family eats and usually likes. This one included. Just imagine some tartar sauce on the plates of my husband and kids!

Enjoy! And remember no extra seasonings or creativity needed!

Supplement Monday

Another question that I was asked last week was what supplements I take on a regular basis?
I know that I list many different supplements on here but that is a good question and no, I don't take all of them all the time!

There are three supplements that I always take and each for a different, important reason.

The first one is a multi-vitamin. Multi-vitamins help to pick up where our food leaves off. They are full of vitamins A,C,D,E and K, and tons of minerals.
This is the multi-vitamin I am currently taking and love!
The reason I love it so much is because I can actually tell in my body when I take it and when I don't.
Also, I know my body is absorbing it, which is huge. Studies are starting to find that many of the supplements people are paying good money for are never even dissolving in the body, therefore providing 0 nutritional benefit. I like to know that my body is actually getting the amount of nutrient that is posted on the label.
You can get this through me or through the website link on the right sidebar. If you like the one who have just make sure it is whole food based and not synthetic.

The next thing is fish oil. Fish oil is essential for numerous reasons and it has proven time and time again to be beneficial to me and my children.
I found this information helpful in summing most of it up.
I give my kids this fish oil everyday , I tsp. and I take this fish oil, everyday, 1 tsp. Their's tastes good, mine is swallowable without gagging but I am also used to it. The reason I give them a different one is because they really like it and it's a local company. The reason I take a different one is because it is more potent in Omega 3's and it doesn't contain any Omega 6's. You need a balance of both but you really need to make sure not to get too many 6's. 6's are found in most things you eat and 3's are not. I would prefer that my kids take the one that I take, but they wouldn't like it and I like that they like it so much, and that it has good nutritional benefits for them. (Plus I really watch their 6 levels which is why I don't use vegetable oils/canola oils in baking....) I buy the Barlean's right at the factory and the other stuff at my Naturpath doctor's office.

And the third must have supplement in this home is a probiotic. Remember gut health, equals overall health and a probiotic helps maintain a healthy gut.
This is the one I take. I take it on an empty stomach between lunch and dinner. Just once a day, no big deal. I keep it in the fridge to keep the good bacteria alive and kicking. I really swear by this stuff. I don't order it online, I get it at our local Co-op.

And there you have it. 1,2,3! The other ones come and go based on season and circumstance.
And one more thing. I don't take all of these and eat whatever I want. That would be a waste. I take these supplements while eating a healthy, whole food, diet. I really think it all works together.

And the winner is.....

Tonya!!!

Yay! I know where you live so I will be dropping off your winnings soon!
Thanks for all who participated. That was a hoot for me too.

For those of you who didn't win I will do this again. Until then keep checking back and if you are interested in getting your own Phytoburst Chews see my link on the sidebar!

Also I will be continuing to answer the questions from the giveaway post.

Thanks for playing :)

Black Bean Salsa

This is an old, very adaptive recipe that continues to be a favorite. To all of you who were here last Tuesday and keep asking me for recipes I will continue to post them. Here is the one for the black bean dip/salsa.

I use dry black beans. They are super, super cheap and I don't add salt
You can use canned black beans as well.

If you use dry beans you rinse them in cold water.
Cover them in cold water.
Soak them overnight.
Drain off the water and add new water to cover beans + about 3 inches or so.
Cook in crock-pot on high/low for 6/8 hours.
(you could add garlic, onion.... whatever, but I don't because remember how I put these in muffins/pancakes! Yeah I don't think garlic beans would make very good chocolate muffins:)

Ok so take about 2 cups of black beans.
Drain and rinse them.
Put them in a big bowl.
Add one diced sweet pepper (yellow, orange or red)
Add one clove of garlic
Add one diced red onion
Add a handful of chopped cilantro
Add one chopped up avocado
Add 1/2 fresh squeezed lemon

Mix it all together and serve.

You can add a jalapeno too if you want but I usually don't because it makes it too hot for my kids.

*ok no fair now I totally want this and I don't have any in my fridge! bummer!*

Peach example source

So, in a perfect world, Three Branches would recommend that no supplementation is necessary if you eat a wide variety of real foods. But because of the current condition of our food supply and our unprecedented exposure to toxins, we feel that supplementation with only high-quality, whole food supplements and superfoods is essential for optimum health. For example, to get the same amount of vitahttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifmin C from one peach half a century ago, you would have to eat 50 peaches today! “The alarming fact is that our food supply is now being raised on land that no longer contains enough vitamins and minerals to support health no matter how much we eat of them,”

http://www.threebrancheshealth.com/learnhb-nutrition/

(thanks tiff for finding this for me! my numbers were off :)

Q & A

Thanks for all the comments and for participating in the GIVEAWAY!
I will answer the questions one at a time.

Here is an easy one since I only have a minute:

Braxton's Lunch
(for those of you who don't know I have one school aged child. He is 6 and he goes to school all day, everyday)

I pack Braxton's lunch Monday-Thursday and on Fridays he gets Hot Lunch. Not my choice, but he is a kid and he has been asking for Hot Lunch since the beginning of the school year so after Christmas break we compromised and now he gets hot lunch on Fridays. I don't regulate it at all. This is his day to get whatever he wants from the very enticing, not so healthy, selection.

Monday thru Thursday this is what he gets in his lunch:

A SANDWICH and his water bottle
Either:
rice cake sandwich with almond butter
peanut butter sandwich with homemade jam / local honey
turkey/ham sandwich with mayo/mustard

There you have it. That's all he gets. A sandwich. And guess what? He eats the whole thing!

I don't give him applesauce (even without sugar added it's packed with natural sugar), no fruit snacks, no crackers or chips... nothing else. Just a sandwich and he loves it and eats it all.

He gets an afternoon snack at school for which I send either almonds, apple, carrots, veggie chips.

He has fruit in the morning, veggies when he gets home from school and at dinner, but lunch is just a sandwich.

Valentines day I will put something special. Probably a homemade muffin.

He doesn't ask for the other stuff. He cares more about recess that comes after lunch anyway. He knows that his body needs strong building blocks to be able to run fast at recess and read well in class. He doesn't argue. He's a champion.

I don't do the other stuff because it's added sugar. When blood sugar levels are raised they get more hungry, their mood fluctuates, they aren't able to concentrate as well....I don't do veggies because we always have them after school. I just do the sandwich. He gets his tummy full. There is no wasted food. He is not filling up on junk. He gets a lot of protein and fiber.

I realize he is only in Kindergarten and maybe he won't always agree with this habit, but I also know that he is smart and as he continues to learn the benefits of good nutrition, and recognize it in his own life, he will probably not have an argument.
Also, we don't have to eat what the other kids eat. Just like we don't say things other kids might say... It's one of those things. Daddy and Mommy do it this way because of these reasons.

Plus there is always Friday, which he does look forward too. Sometimes he gets pizza, chicken burger, apple juice, chocolate milk.... whatever.
Moderation.
He never complains about his lunch. He really likes his sandwich. He drinks his water and he is an extreemly good little eater!

If you don't want to implement this plan I would recommend raw almonds, fresh vegetables, salad is good (like you mentioned).

Most other stuff is either pretty processed or full of sugar. Even fruit is full of sugar so it really fluctuates the blood sugar.

Supplement Giveaway!

Do you know why it is important to take a supplement?

I heard a statistic, which I can't seem to find again, and I don't know the validity of it but it's food for thought none the less. Also, it came from a valuable source so I believe there is a lot of truth, even if the numbers aren't exact.

It was something to the effect of; You would have to eat 68 peaches today, to get the same nutritional content in 1 peach 50 years ago! Isn't that mind boggling, crazy! The reasons being:
the soil isn't as fertile
the farming practices aren't as natural
pesticides....
fruit is not left to ripen on the trees anymore
the turnover of the crop land is much quicker
all the handling
travel time
......
And on and on and on...

So, even if you are eating your fresh fruits and veggies, you just aren't getting enough. Period.

You need a good multi-vitamin to "supplement" the healthy whole foods you are eating. It's not really an option anymore, your body won't get what it needs without it.

I am really passionate about this.....

So... I am hosting a GIVEAWAY! My first one ever and I'm excited about it.
These nutritional chews I often throw in my son's lunch. They are nutrient packed and full of fruits and veggies that he doesn't have time to always eat at school.

My children love these. They beg for them. They get one a day, simply because they are expensive and they are considered a "treat." We don't use the term "treat" lightly around here.

Mannatech's products are all derived from real food sources. They are not synthetic. They are made from real food. They make up for the extra nutrients that unfortunately we aren't getting in our produce anymore.

So, here is the scoop. To enter the giveaway leave a comment telling me something you have learned from this blog. I want to know what the readers want to hear.

Also, those of you who have followed my blog from the beginning get an extra entry, automatically. I know who you are :)
If you aren't a follower, then become one :) please.

The GIVEAWAY entries will close on Friday February 10th so you have until then to post your comment and enter the drawing.
I will announce the winner on Friday, whenever I get to it.

Good luck!
And if you don't want to risk not winning come see me and I can order you some really beneficial supplements :)

Power Shower!

Ok so my husband thinks it's crazy but I swear by it!
I call it the "Power Shower."

You get in, soak up the nice, warm/hot water for a few minutes. Then switch the water to cold, get a nice rush, and then back to warm/hot. This rejuvenates me completely and I love the way it makes me feel. In high school I always ended with the cold because it closes your pores and I didn't want zits, now I do it because it stimulates all my systems (immune, lymph....) and really gets me going and feeling energized.

Try it!
But as a warning, tell whoever is in your house at the time what you are doing so that when they hear you scream they will know why! :)

Huge health benefits to Power Showers!
Check this out for the detials!

Words of Wisdom

My friend Erin has a really fun blog and I am always finding sayings on their that make me nod my head and smile.

I thought they were so TRUE, and worth sharing.

Recipes from last night!

Last night was so fun. Thanks to those who came over and learned with us! Most of you requested the recipes of the healthy snacks I served so I will post them one at a time this week!

Also, for those of you who wanted to come but couldn't make it, please CHECK OUT MY REAL FOOD VITAMIN/MINERAL SUPPLEMENT link on the right sidebar. These vitamins are real and I can feel the difference in my life and in the lives of my kids from using them. Let me know if you have questions, ok!

Here is the recipe for the yummy tomato, artichoke, dip thingie

1/2 cup of the above pictured (my mom picked this up for me somewhere but they used to have it at Costco?

1 TBS. olive oil

4 Roma tomatoes (diced)

a good handful of fresh basil (diced)

1/2 can of black olives (diced)

fresh garlic (to your liking) I did one clove (probably would have done more but I didn't know how my guests would do with my normal amount of garlic!

1 TBS. balsamic vinegar

I made it a few hours ahead of time. Mixed it all and chilled it in the fridge until Go time. It was yummy!

Enjoy!

Roasted Veggies for Dinner!!

Some days there is nothing better than your kids' taking a nice long nap, on their own! Today was one of those days. I put them in their room at 1:00 and it's 2:59pm and I haven't heard a peep! Yes!

Gives me lots of time for dinner prep. The last hour has been spent rocking out to some Pandora radio and washing/cutting veggies (and munching on some as I went).

Tonight for dinner we are having crock pot chicken and Roasted Veggies. The chicken is nothing special. Some chicken breasts in the crock pot that I will salt and pepper when they are fully cooked.

The veggies are special. Zucchini, butternut squash, carrots, califlower, some gloves of garlic (left in whole cloves) all in the pan topped with about 1/4 cup coconut oil. I cook them at 375 for about an hour and then I dash them with sea salt. This is a family favorite. The coconut oil makes them sweeter and the contrast with the salt is nothing short of fantastic.

Have a good dinner!!