EASY Homemade Frozen Yogurt

I don't know why I hadn't thought of it before but I'm sure glad my sister told me about this wonderful easy recipe!

Basically it's yogurt and frozen fruit...that's it!!  I do add a few drops of Stevia to sweeten it a little but the last batch with mangos really didn't need the sweetener.

Easy Frozen Yogurt
1 cup of plain yogurt
1/2 cup of frozen fruit chunks
1/2 tsp vanilla (optional)
4-5 drops of Stevia (optional if the yogurt is too tart)

Blend it all on high until smooth and you have Frozen Yogurt! The frozen fruit does the chilling for you and it's ready to eat or put in the freezer to firm up. Adjust quantities for more people and to taste.

Today I made myself a morning snack using some frozen fruit puree of mango, banana and orange...it didn't make as firm a frozen yogurt as the frozen fruit chunks but it was a cool creamy treat!

Thanks for visiting my blog today! If you are a new visitor you may see I use some pre-packaged foods, many of my recipes can be made completely from fresh ingredients but I'm trying to focus on simple healthy tips for those that work full time and don't have quite as much time in the home.  Thanks for visiting!

Banana Nut Muffin Top Cookies

This is a chocolate chip cookie recipe I tweaked to make it a bit healthier and much more satisfying.  The cookies come out soft and moist like muffin tops and the oats and sunflower seeds make it a yummy satisfying snack.

Banana Nut Muffin Top Cookies

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup organic sugar
• 2 very ripe bananas
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 ½ cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup of rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons hot water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup of sunflower seeds or chopped walnuts (optional)

1.             Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2.             Cream together the butter, sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in bananas and eggs one at a time, and then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, oats and sunflower seeds. Drop by large spoonfuls onto un-greased cookie sheets.

3.             Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven on top shelf, or until edges are nicely browned. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Exciting times!

It's been way too long since I've posted...life has been crazy busy and it looks like it's just going to be more so...

Work is great.  I was honer to receive a performance award this year.  I love my job but it's always great to be recognized for a good job.

I've also had a terrible allergic response to fragrances in the office...it started with a few people using fragrance diffusers that triggered head aches, ear-aches and ultimately a sinus infection I'm still fighting.  But the scariest part was when I felt my throat closing and am now ultra-sensitive to even the slightest fragrances and perfumes.  Luckily my job has decided to allow me to work from home so I've been busy setting up my home office and am about 85% complete. Just waiting on my performance award points to purchase dual monitors and I need to upgrade the RAM in my old computer and I should be all set.

And...drum roll please...I've also decided to go back to college! I was accepted at Concordia University!! Classes begin 8/22 and that's where I see life getting very, very busy!  I'm super excited...it's been almost 20 years so a bit scary but I'm looking forward hitting the books again!

So as you can see life is crazy but exciting! 

I have come up with a few new recipes I'll share in another post!

Also if anyone is interested I'm selling one of my Vitamix's...it's the Drink Machine Plus made specifically for coffee drinks and smoothies...if your family loves smoothies and Frappuccinos check it out: http://cgi.ebay.com/Vitamix-VM100A-Drink-Machine-Plus-/260822669747?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cba3e19b3

Vacation

We just got home from our Florida vacation. I've got to admit...we did not keep our real food commitment.  We were constantly on the run and had so much we wanted to do that cooking was not a priority. Sadly we paid for it too.  We didn't have the energy we were accustomed to, we spent a small fortune eating out and I really wish we had planned better. Flying made it a bit harder to bring home prepared foods, although in hindsight it would have been worth it to pay for an extra bag to bring some healthy foods.

We did have a wonderful time though! I had the opportunity to show the guys around my hometown, I was able to introduce them to more of my family and friends.  We went to the beach several times, deep sea fishing 50 miles off shore...the water was such a beautiful sapphire blue and we caught tons of fish! We also enjoyed a day at the Universal Studios Resort in Orlando. It was a wonderful vacation!

Thank you so much to my brother for opening his home to us and all their hospitality! It was so great to see all of you and finally meet little Nick!

There is no place like home...we were all glad to be back in our own beds.  And it's time to get our eating under control.  We really let loose and ate whatever we wanted but nothing tasted as good as I remember, some things were just gross!  I know I'm ready to get serious again! So it's about time to get dressed and head out to the grocery store.

The hardest part will be the detox...again...that junk food is so addictive! My goal is to stick to just meat, fruit and veggies.  I did find once I started adding bread and pasta back in (even whole grain) I quit loosing weight.  I'm motivated again and excited to get started, as a matter of fact I already had squash fresh from the garden for breakfast.

I'll post some pictures from vacation once we download them all.  Hope y'all have a great day!

Vanilla Frappuccino recipe

It's hot here in Texas and I'm hooked on Starbucks Green Tea Frappuccino's!! But...I don't need all the sugar and who knows what else they put in that stuff and I wasn't able to find a good copycat recipe so I had to experiment a bit to find a yummy, real food, refreshing replacement. This is the easiest thing I was able to come up with and it was yummy!!

Vanilla Frappuccino

1 cup of milk
2 Tablespoons of heavy whipping cream (optional-just a dab of decadence)
1 Teaspoon of vanilla
Stevia to taste -I used 4 packets of Truvia to make the measurements simple
1 Cup of ice

Combine all ingredients in Vitamix or blender and enjoy!

Really easy and very yummy! Vanilla bean would make it even better but I wasn't willing to sacrifice my last vanilla bean when the bottled stuff worked pretty well. Maybe next time...
I hope you enjoy it too!

Memorial Day Camping Menu

Happy Tuesday…well it feels like a Monday but at least we have a short week :)

I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. We went camping and had a good time.  It was a bit hot but we cheated andgot a cabin with a/c so it wasn’t too bad.

I’ve been planning this trip for months and started itbefore we started eating real food….I tweaked it as much as I could toutilize as much real food as I could without having to make everything fromscratch.  Overall I was very happy with the outcome and very impressedwith my new cast-iron set, it was great fun and excellent food!

Here’s my menu if any of you have upcoming campingtrips:

We had just bought a propane fryer so I had to use it ;) lol!They do make all-natural tator-tots and hash browns…

I also used it to boil the water for the baggy omelets.

The trick to cooking with cast iron is to stack coals on top of the lid so the heat will surround and cook like an oven. I used the camp-site grill and was able to adjust the grill height so the bottom didn’t overheat.

Friday:

BBQSandwiches & tator tots

*pre-cookedbrisket at home and froze for easy 1st night dinner, reheated indutch-oven with some beer to keep it moist and from sticking to bottom.

Dessert:

Banana Boat

Take a banana and peel off one strip of peel (where the bananacurves)

Where you took off the peel, slice out a piece of banana almostall the way down

(like a canoe) and set it aside 

 Fill opening with peanut butter

Place 2 or 3 pieces of chocolate on top of peanut butter

Cover the peanut butter and chocolate with thebanana piece you cut out, cover that with the piece of peel, wrap very tightlyin tin foil, and cook on a rack over your campfire 10 minutes.

Hmmmm eat with a spoon…this was my first try and it turned out even better than I expected!

Saturday:

Baggy Omelets &Hashbrowns

Recipe Ingredients:
2 lg     eggs     (I whisked 12 eggs in a bowl and poured a bit in each bag, then let the     kids build their own omelet)
sausage, bacon, or ham
your favorite omelet veggies
shredded cheddar cheese     (add after cooking)
salt and pepper to taste

Cooking instructions:
Place whipped eggs in a ziplock freezer bag (don’t use cheap bags, I paid dearly for going cheap!) Add meat and veggies salt and pepper to taste. Put baggy in a pot of boiling water for about 5 to 10 min. Then just cut bag off, Add shredded cheese and enjoy! Serve in tortilla.

Variations/Hints:
You can make a western omelet with sausage, cheese and bell peppers, just add salsa. Or just veggie omelets or ham and cheese... Just have fun!!

Lunch

Grilled burgers & all-natural chips

Hobo Dinners

Ingredients

Ground Beef or turkey
Suggested Fillings: Sliced Carrots, Corn, Chunked Potatoes, Grated Cheese, Etc.
Salt, Pepper, desired Spices

Equipment

Heavy Duty Tinfoil
Tongs to Remove Dinners from Fire

Instructions

In a piece of tinfoil, place about ahandful of raw ground beef. Add whatever fillings are desired, and seasoningsto taste. Place over coals and cook approximately 15 minutes on each side untilbeef is done. Use tongs to check for doneness and to remove dinners when readyto eat!

 

Saturday Dessert:

 Pineapple Upside-down Cake Recipe

Ingredients

1 can pineapple rings (drained, retainjuice), 2 cans crushed pineapple (drained well, retain juice), 1 jar maraschinocherries, 1 box spice or pineapple cake mix and associated ingredients(according to box's instructions, cinnamon, 1/2 stick butter or margarine,approx. 1-1/2 cups brown sugar)

Equipment

large Dutch Oven, mixing bowl, andspoon

Instructions

Melt the butter in the bottom of theoven over medium heat. Add brown sugar and continue heating until sugar meltsand forms thin paste with butter. Line the bottom of the oven with pineapple rings in the sugar glaze. Place a cherry in the center of each ring. Add the crushed pineapple on top of the rings, press it down with the back of a spoon, but DO NOT STIR. Mix the cake mix according to directions on the box. Pour the cake mix evenly over the pineapple mixture. Place the dutch oven on top of 14-16 briquets, and add 16-18 to the top of the oven. Bake until a knifeinserted into the center of the cake is pulled out clean. Let cool for 5-10 minutes, then use a knife to release the edges of the cake from the oven. GENTLY turn the oven upside-down over a large plate or serving platter. The cake should drop out, leaving the pineapples on top! Stray garnish can be replaced with a spatula.

Comment: Too much heat on the bottom will dryout the pineapple glaze and garnish, so be careful how much heat is under the oven. Check it after about 30 minutes, then every 5-10 minutes after that for doneness.

Sunday:

Quiche A La Canoe (dutchOven)1 ½ bags of Ritz crackers
1 stick of Butter
Meat (ham,     bacon sausage, use your favorite.)
Cheese.
onion and/or green pepper.
8-10 Eggs     (I whisked in a bowl)

Cooking instructions:
Oil the Dutch oven well. Make a crust of mashed ritz and butter. It is a realmess, but it is worth it. Dish your dough up the sides of the Dutch oven alittle. Layer meat, then cheese then pour whisked eggs on top.

Variations/Hints:
A mild fire will do. Put a lot of coals on the Dutch oven lid, to cook theeggs. Don't be reluctant to check it regularly. It is done when a knifeinserted into the middle comes out clean.

Dinner:

BBQ

*marinated chicken thighsand drumsticks ready to grill

Grilled Corn on the cob

Placecorn in a piece of foil, add Salt/pepper & a pat of butter.

Wraptightly and grill for 30 mins or so, turning often.

Dessert:

Baked apples w/ cinnamon

1apple per person
cinnamon
sugar
raisins (optional)
nuts(optional)

Startby cutting a round plug out of the top of your apple. You will need a sharp paring knife to  cut out the plug. Next you will need to cut the core and all of the seeds out of the apples. You might want to bring along an applecorer to make the coring of the apples easier. When you core the apple you will want to make sure that the apple stays whole, be sure that you don't break the apple as you core it.

Once your apple is cored, fill the hole left by the core with cinnamon, sugar,and raisins and nuts if you desire. When the hole is filled, place the plugback into the apple. Wrap the apple in foil and place into the embers of your fire. Cook your apples for approximately 20 to 45 minutes depending on how well done and soft you want your apple to be. At 20 minutes your apple will still be slightly crunchy, but at 45 minutes your apple will be more like applesauce.

Monday morning – scrambled eggs, smokie sausages & biscuits

Natural Cures

Being home sick this weekend has been pretty miserable. Whatever I've got it's strong and came on hard. It started with a sore throat and made me pretty miserable for 3 days now :(  Dr says its a virus so in many cases you just have to let it run it's course but I've chosen to fight back...

I've been fascinated with natural healing for many years. It all started when I was in my early 20's and had chronic sinus infections.  I went to the dr 6 times in 1 year and each time he gave me a script for antibiotic.  Well I wasn't getting better and upon research I learned that much antibiotic is horrible for your body.  Our bodies have a careful balance of good bacteria.  Antibiotic can't tell the difference and kills off all bacteria leaving our bodies open to all kinds of unsavory side effects like yeast infections, stomach problems and just feeling "off" long after our original illness has passed.

Plus with the over use of antibiotics we are now battling "super bugs" that are resistant to meds, staph infections that are incurable, it is a problem that has lead me to research alternative remedies and in doing so I've sort of gone back to the basics.  What remedies were used prior to the invention of penicillin?

Now, please know I do believe in antibiotics and know they save lives when used properly!

I'd like to share a few alternative remedies for day to day illnesses:

Many illnesses/viruses enter our system through our sinuses...nose, mouth, eyes...picked through our hands, etc...

My first line of defense is of course hand washing. Next is a nasal cleanse. It's just a saline wash that's simple and uses salt which has natural healing and cleansing properties.

Vitamin C builds our immunity and is strongly recommended for daily use, I suggest 500-1000 mg a day.

Vitamin D is also essential, we get it naturally from the sun and some say that's why we get colds and flu in the winter because of lack of sun exposure. With today's busy lifestyle I know I don't get out in the sun as much as I'd like so I suggest additional supplements.

I use some of the more powerful antiviral / antibacterial remedies when I know I'm fighting something off. Whereas antibiotics only fight off bacteria, many of these fight off viruses and speed healing for even the common cold. I keep them on hand for flu, sinus or whatever I might come in contact with.

- Olive leaf is a great "all purpose" herb that has both antiviral and antibacterial properties. I take it morning and night when I'm feeling something coming on. This is the best cure I've found for sinus infections.
http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-olive-leaf.html

- Colloidal silver is a super strong remedy that's almost unheard of anymore however it was one of the main cures used prior to the invention of antibiotic. It can't be patented so it's now a forgotten cure because big businesses can't make money off it, but that doesn't mean it doesn't work.
* I am careful to use this only when necessary, I probably use it 3 or 4 times a year when fighting off infection, I don't recommend this for daily use as it can build up in your blood.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/11772070/The-Benefits-of-Colloidal-Silver

Tomato Basil soup & Flat Bread

We had a wonderful meal this week that was really simple and didn't take too long to throw together.  Hope y'all enjoy.

Tomato Basil soup w/ Meatballs

• 2 (28 ounce) cans crushed or pureed tomatoes
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
• 18 fresh basil leaves, minced
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• seasoning salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 2 bags of Meatballs (all natural)

             In a large saucepan, bring the tomatoes and broth to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add basil, seasonings and sugar. Reduce heat to low; stir in cream and butter. Cook until butter is melted.

Flat bread

·                        3 cups all purpose flour

·                        1 cup ice water + water as needed to moisten, 1 teaspoon at a time

·                        3 tablespoons shortening

·                        2 teaspoons salt

·                        2 teaspoons baking powder

·                        pinch of baking soda

Combine all ingredients and form into a dough, as water as needed if too crumbly. Cut into 4 or 5 equal pieces. Roll out to a thin 8 inch circle. Prick the surface of the dough with a fork and cook on an oiled hot griddle. Turn with a spatula. Watch these flat bread disks closely because they cook fast. Serve warm.

Mother's Day Success

How many of you are emotional eaters.  Me too! Or at least I used to be...

This week has been rough for me. I couldn't figure out why I was such a basket case and so unusually emotional until I was driving to work this morning and it hit me! I didn't eat my way through this issue therefore I actually had to feel the emotions. It wasn't fun but I've got to tell you I'm pretty proud of myself now that I'm on the other side of it.

I hope you all had a happy Mother's Day.  Mine wasn't bad. It was also my soon-to-be step son's 18th birthday so the majority of our day was spent focusing on him. However as the day progressed I was sad.  I have plenty of reasons to be sad on Mother's Day...I don't have any children of my own and I had a miscarriage 20 years ago and lost my only opportunity to be a mother...but I've been through many mother's days since then and didn't have this kind of reaction. Why now?? Monday was horrible, I couldn't stop crying and Tuesday was almost as bad. I was mean to my fiancé, I was sad and hurting.  I was able to identify why but like I said I just couldn't understand why now? Why was it hitting me so hard this year?

Now I know...I didn't drown my feelings with food.  I didn't self medicate with sugar, candy, chips, junk food or whatever I could get my hands on to make myself feel better.  That's my MO and also why I've struggled with my weight for most of my life.  Food makes me feel better! However being overweight and poisoning myself doesn't feel good in the long run.  But we all know we don't care about that in the moment, we want our drug of choice to make us feel better.

What is amazing is I didn't have any desire to go there.  Sure I had the munchies but I wasn't willing to break my commitment to myself to eat real food.  How was I able to do that???  For years and years I haven't had the will power to not eat my way through a crisis so how in the world did the thought not even cross my mind this year? Well, I'm pretty sure it's because I've only been eating real food and real food isn't addictive.  It isn't full of MSG and high fructose corn syrup and all the stuff our food producers know makes us want to come back for more.

I am amazed at how easy it was to not eat my way through this.  Dealing with it and feeling those emotions SUCKED! But I am very proud of myself now that I'm on the other side of it.

You know what I did do to treat myself....I bought myself flowers and they made me smile.  I'm looking at them right now and they are beautiful and delicate. They make me happy and they last for days so it's much better than the brief moment a food fix would have lasted.

I mark this up as an amazing success and it just confirms once again I'm on the right path! It was a hard lesson but so worth it!


Would you like some proof our food makers know exactly what they are doing? I can't help but laugh because I was fooled for so long. It's sad what people will do to make a buck...

Here's a long but very informative video that explains everything: http://www.uctv.tv/search-details.aspx?showID=16717

If you don't have 90 mins to watch it try the short version...search youtube for "Sugar the bitter truth, short version".

I actually watched the full length video and was amazed!  Did you know fructose (like high fructose corn syrup which is an ingredient in almost every item on the grocery shelf) breaks down just like alcohol in our blood? Why do you have to be 21 to buy alcohol and go to jail for driving under the influence but we feed our kids HFCS all day everyday? It's scary stuff. It explains how addictive our processed foods are as well as why America is so obese and dropping like flies from heart disease.

I have no doubt that my only saving grace was cutting out processed foods. If I was still eating like most Americans this success would not have happened for me.  We aren't crazy and it's not about will power. Our food truly is addictive. If you are a crack addict and try to control it but still consume it all day you will never win.

Incorporating Real Food into real life…

We’ve been invited to a BBQ this weekend; I’m sure it will be tough to not indulge in all the other dishes.  I plan on making a few sides and my famous black bean fudge (btw everyone at work that has tried it has asked for the recipe so check out Saturday’s post if I’ve peaked your interest).

So my task for this week is to find some great side dishes made with “real food” that will satisfy us so we aren’t tempted to splurge on the other dishes. 

We also have a camping trip planned for Memorial Day and the menu I previously prepared is a no go with our new lifestyle.  I’m having a heck of a time coming up with ideas… I’ve got to feed 4 men, 3 meals a day for 4 days….how do we eat nutritious, non-processed foods without spending the entire trip in the “kitchen”?

I was thinking the dutch-oven would work but we are still under a burn ban so I can’t use it in an open fire.  I’ve emailed a few of the other bloggers I’m following to see if they can help with ideas. If you have any ideas please share!

Also, one of my friends at work and I went out to lunch yesterday.  We found an amazing new Greek restaurant and had a wonderful meal. If you are in FTW check out the Two Brother’s Bistro on Beach & Basswood.  It was super yummy, I’m very excited to have found a place that still cooks traditional food (for the most part).

Hope y'all have a great day!

Blackberry Yumminess & Breakfast Casserole recipe

Yesterday Aaron and I went to pick blackberries, there were lots and lots of berries, we got about a gallon but I'd like to get more soon.  I came home and made jelly. I tried some in the freezer containers...never used those so it will be interesting to see how they turn out after thawed.

My wonderful fiance made breakfast to go with our yummy jelly.  

He also made this week's breakfast casserole.  He's so wonderful!

Breakfast Casserole
3 slices of bread
1 lb of turkey breakfast sausage or any breakfast meat you wish
1 small onion
1 small can of chopped green chilis
1/2 - 1 cup of shredded cheese
12 (dz) eggs
1/4 cup milk

Pre-heat oven to 350, layer the bread slices in the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan.
Brown the sausage with onions, sprinckle evenly on top of bread, layer chilis and cheese on top of sausage.
Whisk eggs and milk and pour on top of casserole (allow egg mixture to soak into bread for a few mins).  Season with salt and pepper as desired. Bake for 35-50 minues until lightly brown.

This casserole freezes very well.  We make this most weeks to take to work for breakfast. I usually cut and wrap individually then freeze or refrigerate for a quick and easy breakfast to go.

Enjoy

Happy Saturday with Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal :)

Good morning friends! I hope you are enjoying your weekend.  I've got a baked oatmeal in the oven so mine should get even better in about 15 minutes ;) It's been a very busy morning...made the oatmeal, made black bean fudge (don't let the name scare you off...it was even better than I imagined!). Also finished up my homemade yogurt I started yesterday. It's been a very productive morning.

I think our plan is go pick blackberries. I hear they produced early so I hope we aren't too late.

K, here are some new recipes I've found on my many searches.  I should probably give credit to the blog I found each one on but I'm afraid I visit so many I don't recall where they were found.

Bean Fudge

3 1/2 cups cooked beans (the equivalent of 2 cans.  Preferably, use soaked beans)

3/4 cup coconut oil
3/4 cup carob or cocoa powder**
1/2 cup sweetener, to taste (granulated or liquid.  The resulting product will be fine regardless.  The author used a combination of vegetable glycerine and granulated ACD safe sweetener.) I used organic raw sugar.
6 scoops pure stevia extract (3/16 tsp), to taste*
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt

*Note, pure stevia extract comes with a scoop that measures 1/32 tsp.  So 3/16 tsp = 6 scoops

**Love cocoa, but not the caffeine?  Try Wonderslim cocoa powder.

Method:

1. Put all ingredients in high-powered blender (like a Vitamix) or food processor and process until totally smooth.  Adjust sweetener to taste at this point.  Spread the mixture in an 8×8 pan, pressing down firmly.  Place in refrigerator(if you do not eat it all ), for at least one hour or until firm.  Slice into squares and serve.

2. Store in the refrigerator or in the freezer for longer storage or for a frozen fudgey treat. They will defrost nicely on the counter or in the refrigerator.  Do not use the microwave (you’re backing off using that anyway, aren’t you?) or you will have fudge sauce.

Feel free to adjust the amount of carob or cocoa that you use to your taste.  Use the full amount for a really rich taste, half for a nice mellow flavor, or cut it to 1/3 of the amount for a smooth, ultra-light fudge.  If you really want to “go for the gusto”, double it.  Carob has an inherent sweetness so you will probably need more sweetener if you use cocoa.  And if you choose to double the cocoa, don’t eat it too close to bedtime

Apple-Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal (Soaked)

·                        6 cups thick rolled oats

·                        1/2 cup acid, such as whey or raw apple cider vinegar (or sourdough starter, to improve the effectiveness of the soaking)

·                        8 cups water

·                        1/2 to 1 cup chopped almonds (or any other nut/seed — I often add a handful of raw sunflower seeds) I also added 1/4 cup of flax seeds.

·                        1/2 cup butter, lightly melted

·                        2 cups whole milk

·                        6 eggs

·                        1/2 cup rapadura, sucanat or palm sugar

·                        1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·                        2 tablespoons cinnamon

·                        1/2 teaspoon sea salt

·                        1 apple, diced finely or shredded

·                        1 cup raisins (optional)

·                        1 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut (optional)

Yield: 1 9” x 13” pan or 2 8″ square pans.

Combine oats, acid (or sourdough starter*), water, and nuts/seeds in a big bowl. Cover and let soak overnight.

*Sourdough starter improves the soaking’s effectiveness by adding phytase to reduce phytic acid — which otherwise the oats lack — as well as organisms to accomplish an overnight fermentation. Don’t worry, it won’t be sour — if you rinse well the next morning!

In the morning, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Drain the oats through a fine sieve. Rinse and allow to drain again.

In a big mixing bowl, whisk together butter, milk, eggs, sweetener, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Add oats and mix well. Add the apples, raisins and coconut and mix in gently.

Transfer to a greased 9” x 13” baking dish (or two 8” square cake pans). Smooth the top. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Today I wanted to share some info on sprouting grains.  Have you heard about how many people are allergic to wheat or have to eat gluten free diets?  The theory is because how grains are prepped in today's convenient food world...

You can sprout your own grains or even buy them sprouted.  One company can be found at the link below.
Here's some info about the benefits from http://www.organicsproutedflour.net/whySproutedFlour.html

The Benefits of Sprouted Flour:

• Easier to Digest - Sprouting breaks down the starches in grains into simple sugars so your body can digest them like a vegetable (like a tomato, not a potato).
• Increased Vitamin C - Sprouting produces vitamin C.
• Increased Vitamin B - Sprouting increases the vitamin B content (B2, B5, and B6).
• Increased Carotene - Sprouting increases the carotene up to eight times.
• Increased Enzymes are actually produced during sprouting.
• Reduction of Anti-nutrients - Sprouting neutralizes enzyme inhibitors and phytic acid, which is a substance present in the bran of all grains that inhibits absorption of calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and zinc.

Until the 20^th century, grain naturally sprouted in the field before it was milled into flour. The invention of the combine harvester during the Industrial Revolution changed everything. Grain could be harvested in the field and then moved to storage bins. The time-honored practice of sprouting was cast aside for modern processing.

Unfortunately, nutrition was also cast aside. When whole grains are not allowed to ferment or sprout, they don’t contain the nutrients that sprouted whole grains do. And they retain the naturally occurring antinutrients, even when milled into flour.

To Your Health Sprouted Flour Co. has returned to the traditional practice of sprouting grains in order to render them more nutritious and digestible. However, we don’t leave our grains out in the field to sprout. We nurture the grains in our facility, allow them to sprout, then dry them at a very low temperature, to maintain precious vitamins, minerals, and enzymes.


I soaked my oatmeal overnight in water with 1/2 cup of whey (the liquid off yogurt). If you don't have whey any acid should work...sourdough starter is great too.  I've been trying to soak my grains and beans and have noticed a huge difference in bloating and stomach issues so give it a try.

Hope y'all have a great weekend.

It's a Food Revolution - Part 1

How many of you have made changes to your diet in the past 60 days?  Why?

Have you ever watched Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution?  Dang, that guy is passionate about helping America change their diet…why do you think he is so passionate? Why do you think he cares more that we do??

Ok, so what steps can be taken that will make the greatest change??? I have 2 suggestions:

1) Cut out all high fructose corn syrup, processed sugars and artificial sweeteners – this is a shock to the system but worth it in the long run! If I need a sweetener I use Stevia.

Check out this link (Thanks Becky for sharing it): http://www.grist.org/food/2011-04-14-how-to-choose-right-sweetener-handy-snarky-flowchart

I get most of my sweetness from fruits now. Oh, we had a wonderful watermelon last night! How many of you are thinking that just doesn’t sound good…you’d rather have chocolate or ice-cream or cookies? Yea, we used to be like that too!  We went for about a month without anything sweet, not even fruit for the 1^st 30 days. Once it was all out of our system fruit started sounding really good! LOL!

2) Grass fed meat raised with no hormones or antibiotics -

I asked my doctor if going organic was worth the money; he recommended I spend the money on organic meat first and if there’s any money left then buy organic veggies.  He said the growth hormones and chemicals stay in the meat.  Ok…well organic meat is expensive but if that’s where I get the greatest bang for my buck I’ll seriously think about it.

I ran across a few articles that described how most of our meat is raised and honestly it’s pretty disgusting! How they load our beef with hormones and toxic feed…if we are what we eat…ick!

Here’s an excerpt from http://www.drheise.com/beef.htm :

“Most commercially raised beef calves start around 80 pounds and gain up to 1,200 pounds in a period of about 14 months. This is not a natural event. This is accomplished by feeding them large quantities of grain (usually corn) and protein supplements, in addition to various drugs and synthetic hormones, as the beef industry puts it, to “promote efficient growth.”

Various combinations of hormones, estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone, and the synthetic hormones, zeranol and trenbolone acetate, may be given to cattle during their growing cycle. Another hormone, melengesterol acetate, may also be added to cattle feed to “improve weight gain and feed efficiency.”

When humans eat this drug and hormone-tainted beef, measurable amounts of hormones are transferred to humans. Some researchers warn that human consumption of estrogen from hormone-drugged beef can result in cancer, premature puberty and falling sperm counts.”

I’d say that’s pretty good motivation!!

So what are you willing to do to make yourself and your family healthier?

I hope I’ve given you some food for thought. I know it’s hard, but I truly believe it’s worth it!

Keep on keeping it real!

BTW, I found some local farmers that are selling grass fed beef with no hormones or antibiotics. We tend to eat more poultry but like beef a few times a week so if anyone here in DFW is interested in going together on a side or quarter of beef let me know.

Breaking the Bank?

One thing I’m still trying to figure out is how to eat healthy without breaking the bank or my back! LOL

I’ve spent a small fortune on groceries this month plus I made a few big purchases including a water filter because you can’t use chlorinated water for kefir and I also splurged and bought a VitaMix. 

The VitaMix is an amazing invention that allows you to process your own foods to maintain freshness, whole nutrients and no worries about preservatives.  I can make my own almond, peanut or any nut butter, ice-cream, smoothies & coffee drinks (this is actually the same machine Smoothie King and Starbucks use). I’m super excited about all the possibilities.  My sister has had one for 14 years and loves it!  However it wasn’t a cheap investment.  I was lucky enough to find a used one that was in a coffee house that went out of business, however I’ve discovered there’s always a cost and to do may of the foods I want to do I need to purchase more accessories…

Oh, I can also can make my own flour…did you know processed white flour has already lost 88% of it’s nutrients by the time you buy it?

Check out the Great Grain Robbery: http://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+great+grain+robbery:+the+whiter+the+bread,+the+quicker+you're+dead-a0133411456

So, as usual I’ve got big ideas but implementing them is never as easy as one would think.

I went through my bank account and couldn’t believe the $ spent at Sprouts, Central Market plus grocery stores…so how do we eat healthy and not break the bank?

I think one of the most important things would be making a menu and grocery list so you know exactly what you need and how much…this requires time! I usually keep an ongoing list on my desk through the week of menu ideas and ingredients or at least take some time before heading out the door to really think about what I need.

The beginning was the hardest trying new things and figuring out what works and what doesn’t. What we’ll eat and how much of everything we really need.  It’s definitely a work in progress but I think I’m getting to a point where we have figured out what we actually need. I’ve been doing as much shopping as possible at Aldi, they have the best milk prices in town and carry a decent selection of veggies.

We also started a little garden, herbs and a few veggies.  Maybe next year we will be able to grow more of our own vegetables.

And of course the time and energy spent…it was great fun to begin with but now it’s become work LOL! I do envy stay at home mom’s that can be at home to implement these things into their days.  But for those of us that work it can be a bit harder.  I’m trying to get up earlier in the morning and use my crock pot probably 4 or 5 times a week.  At least now we have some tried and true recipes that I know the family likes.  It just takes some planning which is not my strong point but I think we are getting there.

Here are a few of my more reasonably priced healthy meals.  Hope you enjoy them as much as we have.  Have a great day!

Beef & Barley Stew

1-2 lbs of stew meat (seared to keep in the yumminess)

¾ cup of barley

1 bag of frozen corn

1 bag of frozen green beans (or any veggie)

1 can of all natural tomato sauce

1 tablespoon of minced garlic

Garlic & onion powder to flavor

6 cups of water (I use half water half broth to add extra flavor)

Brown the meat in a few tablespoons of olive oil to sear in the flavor.

Combine all ingredients in the crock pot and cook for 8 hours on low.

The nice thing about this recipe is you can change it up to make something different each week – add carrots, rotel, different frozen veggies, use ground meat, turkey, chicken…pretty much anything you can imagine. You could probably play with the base and rather than tomato maybe milk for a creamy stew?? I might try a creamy chicken stew next week...
It has become a family fav!

Cabbage Roll Casserole

(There are no rolls in this recipe but its easy and tastes just like cabbage rolls without all the prep)

1 head of cabbage

1-2 lbs of ground meat (I use turkey)

1 med onion chopped

1 cup of rice or barley (uncooked)

1 can of all natural tomato sauce

1 1/2 - 2 cups of water or broth (all natural)

Onion & garlic powder, seasoning salt to taste

I roughly chop the cabbage head into large pieces. 

Brown the meat with the onion and some seasoning (salt, pepper, onion & garlic powder).

Layer ½ the cabbage in the bottom of the crock pot, ½ the meat add remaining ingredients and top with the remaining meat and cabbage add a little seasoning with each layer.

Cook on low for 6 hours.

Yum!

Mmmm, bananas & almond butter...not a snack I would have picked a few months ago but the natural sweetness really is wonderful once you get all the processed junk out of your system.

I also read somewhere that you should always eat protein when eating simple carbs, it help your body process the sugars slower and not flood your system with sugar which ultimately turns to fat if you aren't super active.

Hope you are enjoying something REAL today. 

Alternatives ;)

Howdy friends & family,
Sorry, I've been a bad blogger but my friend Tracy sent me a reminder (thanks!) so I'm gonna make some time this morning.

It's been a crazy busy couple of weeks.  Not only has my work load at work significantly increased (yay!) but personal life has been pretty busy too.  As part of my lifestyle change I've implemented lots of new practices and I'm working on finding some balance.  First I started back to the chiropractor and she's got me going 3 times a week for the 1st 3 weeks....that's keeping my evenings busy. On top of that I tried my first yoga class (I know I'm in for a few lectures but I'll explain more below) and I also started a comprehensive detox with my doctor.  So I apologize for not keeping in touch.

As I mentioned I started back at the chiropractor.  I've been going on and off for years but it had been pretty off for the last year.  What was amazing is those daily headaches I'd been dealing with have vanished so I'm very happy about that.  You know it makes sense...all our nerves run through our spine. If our spine isn't healthy it's going to effect every area of our body.  The adjustment period has been a little rough and sore but its getting better and I feel better.

Ok, yoga...I know Christians have been advised against yoga and I'm pretty sure my mom is not going to be happy but I tell you what, it was a great experience. I stretched and used muscles that I hadn't used in a very long time.  I started with a pretty aggressive class so of course I was sore but I felt refreshed and in tuned with my body in a way I never had before.  No, we didn't worship any idols or do anything crazy.  One thing that was a bit unusual was when the instructor told us to draw energy from the sun and the moon...k, that was different but not bad.  If science is correct and we are all energy, everything is energy...it kinda makes sense.  Anyway it was an enjoyable experience that I would like to continue doing. Apparently every class is different and we work different parts of the body. Stretching and getting more limber is something I'm in dire need of and I felt really good afterward.

Now about the detox...it was very different lol!  I may have mentioned my new doctor, he is an MD and takes insurance (yay) but practices natural and homeopathic medicine also.  If you know me well you know I'm fascinated but natural medicine and am very happy to find a doctor with similar beliefs.  Aaron thinks the detox was snake charming lol.  All I know is I had more energy yesterday than I've had in a long time and expect things to get even better over the next 6 weeks.  It started out with a computerized test that identified all the toxins in my body and all the areas "out of whack"...how a computer can do that I have no idea but it was pretty amazing just how accurate it was...the test was done by holding an electrode in each hand and took maybe 5 minutes. It identified about 50 different things that were "off" and several hundred that were "in-line" and needed no detox.

K, it identified several heavy medals including aluminum, silver and plutonium, several lingering vaccines including mumps and rabies (no I've never had a rabies vaccine but my dog has...). Several pesticides (considering I worked a trugreen chemlawn for years in my late teens/early 20's, that was right on lol) also identified my hormones are out of whack which could very well explain my moodiness. And a few things that were totally off the wall because I hadn't even really looked at them myself (drum roll please lol) the computer suggested a pain cream for me said my hips were out of alignment, well they are and that was the major thing the chiropractor had been working on me and yes I was in excruciating pain because I'd just had a massage working on my hips. I get alot of massages because my back is ALWAYS hurting but that massage almost made me cry, working my hips was excruciating! K....but how in the world did the computer know this????  Yep it's freaky but it kinda made me a believer.

Ok, one other thing was weird but interesting at the same time....maybe I'm just gullible...only time will tell but one of the things that came up on the report just said aqua ducts. While the doctor was going over my results he asked me if I toss and turn at night.  Well yea! I do...all night long! I've never really thought about how long this has been going on but I just can't seem to get comfortable.  He says ok, you probably have an aqua duct running under your bed. He says the fix is the run copper wiring along the walls to redirect the energy flow. Ummm, I knew Aaron was really going to laugh. And the funny thing is Aaron was in the next room because he was the dr's next appt.  So the dr told him what needed to be done and all I can say is I hope it works or else I'll never live it down. We'll go to home depot today and give it a try.

Oh and the fix for all these toxins was an LED laser detox to remove most and homeopathic drops and some supplements for the others.  I just did it Thursday and have to take the drops and pills for 6 weeks so we'll see how it goes.

So, that's a few of the things I've been up to since my last post. I know I may have lost some of you cause I'm kinda "out there" in my approach but I do not believe in modern medicine. I hate the fact that dr's just prescribe pills where in most cases the side effects are worse than the original issue.  Yes medicine has come a long way and I won't say I don't believe in any of it but I hate dr's that just write scripts or want to do surgery before considering other approaches or looking at root causes. I have dozens of books on natural healing and have been practicing it for many years.  So I'm willing to try some unusual things before taking a drug.

We've still been eating healthy and stuck to this lifestyle change.  It's not easy, but I really think its worth it.  Heck just cutting out high fructose corn syrup removes like 75% of the packaged food from the grocery store, it's amazing what all they put that crap in!  But we've done it and have no intention of going back.  Even Aaron and Lance are completely on board and they are losing weight.  I haven't lost anymore in the last week which was a bit disheartening but I think I will if I stick to it.

I'll post a few good recipes we tried this week.  I made a wonderful beef & barley stew that came out better than expected. And last night I made homemade banana ice cream with stevia as sweetner so other than the milk it had no added sugar and it wasn't bad at all.

K, we are off to the Keller Farmer's Market this morning so gotta get moving.  I hope y'all have a wonderful weekend! And I'll try to write more often. Hugs! And go eat something real today ;)

Let's Get Moving!

Amy is doing better and has been moved out of ICU, thank you for your prayers. I hope and pray she makes a speedy recovery.

 

Jon commented on my last post the importance of exercise, which is so true! I’ll admit it’s not something I’ve consistently implemented but I’m much more motivated now than before.  I encourage everyone to “get moving”…walking, hiking or anything you enjoy.

 

I know it sounds kinda silly but I’ve had great success in the past rebounding (mini-trampoline). I’d watch music videos while working out…it was low impact with high results.

 

 

Work finally picked up so I don’t have quite as much time on my hands during the day but I wanted to share a few recipes we’ve enjoyed.

 

 

Lettuce roll-up Taco’s

We are having this for dinner tonight…it’s a fun and healthy (guy approved) dinner.

I served it with homemade salsa (tomato, onion & cilantro run through the food processor)

• 1 lb ground turkey, browned and seasoned with onions, cumin and other desired seasonings
• at least 1 head Romaine Lettuce
• Toppings and spices of choice: chopped tomato, salsa, onions, sour cream, cheese, hot sauce, guacamole, etc

Instructions:

1. Cook meat and season with cumin, garlic, chili powder and any desired seasonings to taste 

2. Cool slightly and put into romaine leaves like taco shells

3. Top with desired condiments

 

Sweet Potato Latkes

• 2 medium sweet potatoes or 1 large butternut squash
• 1/3 cup coconut or almond flour (or meal)
• 1 egg
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• spices to taste (salt, pepper, garlic pwder)
• 3 TBSP butter or coconut oil

What to do:

1. Grate sweet potatoes or butternut squash with cheese grater or food processor
2. Put in large bowl with sliced onion, egg, flour and spices and mix well with hands
3. Form into hamburger sized patties and cook in skillet over medium high heat in butter or coconut oil until browned (about 5 minutes per side)

 

 

This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. This message contains confidential information and is intended only for the individual named. If you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail.