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)

 

 

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Thinking of Amy...

On this Monday my thoughts and prayers are with Amy & David E., Amy suffered a massive heart attack last night and is in ICU. The doctors told David there was significant damage to Amy’s heart.  Amy is a sweet beautiful woman that I’ve had the honor of knowing for several years. David and Amy are the creators of the couples training “How to Create Intimacy & Respect” and have devoted their lives to helping others. I pray for a miraculous recovery and healing for her.

 

Amy’s situation really hits home with me, she’s way too young for this to happen and reminds me just how important our daily choices are.  I’ve chosen to live a healthier lifestyle today so I will have long healthy tomorrows with those I love.

 

There are so many causes of heart disease: genetics, nutrition, stress, etc… we only have control of so many of those however nutrition is one that we have 100% control. Yesterday I let myself get overwhelmed and was tempted to give up and go back to “convenience” food. However, I have a renewed belief that the choices I make today are going to determine the quality of my future and that of my family.

 

I choose a long, happy and healthy life with the man of my dreams. Today I choose to make the best choices I can. Sometimes those are hard choices and many times they are not convenient. But I have faith they will be worth it!

 

Keep on Keeping it Real. DD

 

 

Here are a few links that I’ve run across that have given me pause. One thing to keep in mind is to not allow these types of stories to scare you but to help you make educated decisions to live a healthier life.

 

The secret killer: http://www.deliciousobsessions.com/2011/03/sugar-secret-killer-part-2-disease/

 

Dangers of BPA: http://e360.yale.edu/feature/a_warning_by_key_researcher_on_risks_of_bpa_in_our_lives/2344/

Don't do as I do....

I mentioned one of the reasons I started this blog was to show working people how to incorporate healthier choices into their already busy lives. Eating "real" is much harder than today's convenient foods...it takes planning and implementing.  All this to say....don't do as I do lol!

For those of you that don't know me well I tend to be a bit of an overacheiver. And today it kicked my butt!

First off I always make a breakfast casserole on Sundays for us to take to work for breakfast all week. I also make jasmine green tea with stevia for Aaron's lunch and I decided to try one of the more involved recipes I've found...with 3 new labor intensive dishes. Oh, and I prepped tomorrow's dinner.  It all caught up this afternoon and I'm exhausted! I really need to learn to practice moderation! That's one mistake I tend to make is jumping in the deep end when I try new things. I get excited and go all gusto but then get burned out...so as I said, don't do that! LOL!

If the idea of changing everything is overwhelming, just try a few healthier choices each day.  It really is worth it!

I did find a simple little joy today. I'm not sure if you are the same as me but junk food had become a way of life. I had forgotten how good simple food could be. Today I enjoyed cashew butter and banana. It was a wonderful sweet treat but a month ago it would not have been appealing at all.  I'm amazed at how much my tastes have changed.

 

Here are a few tried and true recipes we've enjoyed:

 

Coconut-Curry Lentil Stew Served over Quinoa Allrecipes.com

I plan to try to simplize this one for the crockpot...I'll let you know how it turns out but following the recipe below was probably one of my favs in the past few weeks,

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1-3/4 cups water
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-1/2 large tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
• 1-1/2 teaspoons molasses or honey
• 2 tablespoons coconut powder (optional)
• 1/2 (4 inch) cinnamon stick or 1 tsp ground
• 1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander (optional)
• 1 cup red lentils
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. Soak the quinoa in a bowl filled with cold water for 5 minutes, then drain using a fine mesh strainer, and rinse with running water. Set the strainer aside so the quinoa can drain, then bring 1 3/4 cups of water and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in the quinoa, cover, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until the quinoa has absorbed the liquid and is tender, about 15 minutes. Set aside, and keep warm.
2. Melt the coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, and cook for 5 minutes more. Pour in the water and coconut milk, and add the molasses, coconut powder, cinnamon, curry powder, and ground coriander. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then stir in the lentils, and cook until just tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir frequently as the lentils cook to keep them from sticking. Be careful not to overcook them, as they will quickly loose shape and become a paste.
3. Once the lentils are done, season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir in the chopped cilantro. Serve the lentil stew over a bed of quinoa.

 

Lime Sorbet
2-1/2 cups water
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup lime juice
4 pinches of pure stevia powder
1 cup fresh spinach leaves (optional)

Heat water and honey in a medium sauce pan until honey is dissolved.  Stir in lime juice and stevia.  If using spinach, pour mixture into food processor, add spinach, and process until smooth.  I like the addition of spinach because it adds a little nutrients and also makes the sorbet a nice green color.  You can't taste the spinach at all so it doesn't interfere with the flavor.
Place in icecream maker until frozen or pour into ice cube trays and freeze.  Once it is frozen, place back in food processor and process until smooth.

 

 

Mango Sorbet - Allrecipes.com
4 Mangos - peeled and seeded
1 cup of simple pyrup
Juice of 1 lime

1. Place cubed mango in a food processor, and puree. Pour in chilled simple syrup and lime juice, and puree until smooth.
2. Place in icecream maker until frozen or pour into ice cube trays and freeze.  Once it is frozen, place back in food processor and process until smooth

Water Kefir - a healthy replacement for sodas and sugary drinks

How many of you have heard in the news...dyes making kids hyperactive or corn syrup makes you gain 48% more weight or artificial sweeteners are causing disease. What does that leave?? Water? Heck even the crap they put in our water to disinfect it is bad for us....

High Fructose Corn Syrup Study: http://www.foodpolitics.com/wp-content/uploads/HFCS_Rats_10.pdf
FDA Memo on Food Dyes: http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AdvisoryCommittees/CommitteesMeetingMaterials/FoodAdvisoryCommittee/UCM248105.pdf
Info on Artificial sweeteners: http://www.sweetpoison.com/aspartame-sweeteners.html

That was one of our hardest struggles in this new real food lifestyle...replacing the sodas!

Its taken a while but I think I have found the answer...Water Kefir! I had never heard of it until I started searching for solutions. But it's now been guy approved! BTW my guys are Aaron, my amazing fiance and Lance my soon to be stepson.

They are such good sports and will try anything...once! So I was keeping my fingers crossed lol.

Water kefir is made from kefir grains, the best comparison I can come up with is yogurt. You know all those wonderful live cultures that are so good for your tummy. Well kefir is the same but rather than milk (there is milk kefir too) I found some that work in water.

You put the grains in sugar water and let them sit for 24-48 hours, they feed on the sugar and produce a yummy, bubbly sweet drink. I flavor mine with lemon juice for lemonade and tried my first strawberry lemonade this morning...we'll see see how that turns out.

The boys enjoy the lemonade and I enjoy the fact that I know they getting something healthy.

For info on purchasing kefir grains check out: http://www.culturesforhealth.com/water-kefir-grains.html
The grains also multiply and if you follow directions and keep them healthy it should only be a 1 time investment to last indefinitely.

Making Kefir:

To make a quart of water kefir, dissolve ¼ c. sugar in a small

amount of hot water. If making two quarts of water kefir, use ½

cup of sugar. Add enough cool water to almost fill the jar leaving

1-2 inches of headspace.

2. When the water has cooled to room temperature, add the kefir

grains. Cover the jar tightly with a towel and rubber band to keep

out fruit flies and ants.

3. Allow the kefir to culture for 24 to 48 hours. 24 hours will yield a

sweeter water kefir. However, if you are sensitive to sugar,

culture the kefir for 48 hours to give the grains a chance to

consume a larger portion of the sugar. Do not let the kefir grains

culture longer than 72 hours. As the kefir grains culture, you may

notice tiny bubbles forming and traveling to the water surface (do

not be concerned if no bubbles appear, see below).

4. Once the kefir has cultured for the desired period of time, strain

off the finished liquid into a separate container (use a fine mesh

plastic strainer if possible; stainless steel is acceptable if

necessary) and cover with a tight lid. Finished water kefir does

not require refrigeration, but can be refrigerated if you desire a

cold beverage.

5. Add the grains to a new batch of sugar water and proceed with

your next batch.

That's it for today,

The beginning...

My journey to better health began 3 weeks ago. I had my first dr's appt with a new dr and weighed in at a totally unacceptable weight. You see I've struggled with my weight since I was a kid. I was always chubby until the summer before highschool it all fell off, whether it was infatuation with my first boyfriend or my teenage metabolism kicking it it was a miracle lol!

I kept it off for years then in my mid 20's it began creeping back on. It didn't help that I was in a miserable marriage and ate for comfort and from that point on I've struggled, sometimes winning but most of the time giving in to the cravings and moments if pleasure junk food gave me.

Once I got divorced I decided it was time to do something and found The book The Makers Diet by Rubin. It was my first glimpse into what today's food is doing to us (more on that later), so I started watching what I ate and dropped weight immediately. I was quit happy with myself and managed to keep it off for a few years but then life got in the way. I went back to convenience food and eating out 2 or 3 times a week. Shortly I gained it all back plus more.

Well I've decided enough is enough! I dug out the book again and got serious! I'm on my third week of eating healthy; dropped 8 lbs and I'm actually enjoying the journey. The trick is making it a lifestyle change that will last a lifetime.  I'm hoping by blogging I'll have some accountability and maybe even help someone else along the way.

If you would like to join me or even want to just stand on the sidelines and watch feel free...I'll try to share some of the information I come across, maybe a few healthy recipes (only after approved by my guys ;) and whatever else catches my fancy. 

I'm learning lots of amazing stuff about nutrition, food preparation, and some wild facts about todays food industry.  Stay tuned if you want to learn more and keeping it real.

PS - had my follow up appt with the dr today, was diagnosed with hypothyroidism which is essentially caused by toxins, stress and lack of essential vitamins and nutrients.  So another chapter begins to a healthier me.

Blessings, D

Introducing - "Keeping it Real" My Journey

Well I've been thinking about blogging and now I am...Keeping it Real! Primarily to share my journey to living a healtier lifestyle and keeping our food real but who knows maybe it will become more.

This is just an intro...mainly to see if it will link to FB and let ya'll know where you can find me.

http://dd-keepingitreal.blogspot.com/

And another reason I decided to do this that there are quite a few blogs about healthy living but it seems most are written by stay-at-home Mom's, which is great! I just think there might be some people out there that work and want to try incorporating more healthy practices and real food into their lives and maybe I can help.

Stay tuned, once I figure all this out I hope to have an informative if not amusing little blog going.

Blessings and remember to Keep it Real! D