Days 11-13 with Recipes

I guess I need to start taking pictures of what I make so you can see how yummy it looks!

Day 11:

1. Green Smoothie & a cucumber sliced
2. Priyaa Dosa Masala & Samba
3. HuHot Asian Salad (no dressing but squeezed lemon on it) & Mongolian veggies with a little teriyaki sauce on it.

Day 12:

1. 2 Breakfast bars from Day 7 & a bunch of grapes
2. Fazoi's Cherry, Apple Almond salad (tiny drizzle of dressing, no meat or cheese)
3. Corn on the cob, mashed potatoes w/ Stuffed Pepper (no ground turkey and used Daiya vegan cheese). 
4. Late snack of Cookie dough (I was out of maple syrup so I used honey.  I also accidentally added way too much vanilla so I may try this one again later but it was too sweet this time!)

Day 13:

1. Bing cherries and homemade pancakes.  The original recipe has been a favorite of ours for a long time, however, it is not vegan so I modified it for us. 
2. Stuffed pepper from Day 12
3. Bellacino's Veggie Salad (no cheese but added pepperocini)
4. Late snack of 2 pancakes

 Instant Pancakes:
2Tbsp of chia seeds soaked in 6Tbsp of water for 10 minutes
2 cups of Almond Milk
4Tbsp of homemade Applesauce (can use organic pure applesauce with no additives)
2 cups of the "Instant Pancake Mix" (dry ingredients mixture)
2 cups of fresh fruit or vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cooking time and all the dry ingredients are the same except I use organic cane sugar for the sugar instead of granulated, everything else is as on the original recipe.

Recipes Thus Far

Some of you have asked me where I have gotten my recipes.  I will post all the recipes I have used so far and will continue to post them as I use them.  Some of the recipes I had to change because they didn't fit in with my eating regime so I will post the source and any changes I made to make the recipe fit my new eating.

Green Smoothies

All the green smoothies I have made so far have come from the book Green Smoothie Joy.  I have made Blue Banana Green Smoothie, Berry & Melon Green Smoothie, Pineapple Detox Green Smoothie, Zingy Spring Green Smoothie, Orange & Go Green Smoothie, Breakfast Treat Green Smoothie.

Homemade Spaghetti Stew

I got this idea from my friend Dustin.  Not sure if the way I made it was exactly like his.

Ingredients:

Small amount of Wildtree Grapeseed Oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tomatoes, diced
1/2 Onion, diced
1lb of Organic Black Beans (could either use a 15.5oz can or you could soak dry beans and cook them to add)
Jar of homemade spaghetti sauce (size of the jar doesn't matter, will just make it more or less saucy)
Brown Rice

Directions:

Put the small amount of Grapeseed Oil in a pan and brown the minced garlic and diced onions.  Once they are browned, place them in a sauce pan along with all the other ingredients and bring to a boil.  Once you have brought it to a boil, simmer until it is the desired thickness.  I cooked mine for about 20 minutes and it was the thickness I wanted.  While your stew is cooking, make brown rice.  I used a rice cooker which made it easy.  I put 2 cups of brown rice in the rice cooker and put in water 1" over the top of the rice.  The rice cooker takes about 20 minutes so you may want to start this before you start your stew to save time.

Breakfast Bars

I got this recipe from Oh She Glows.  I did everything she did except I did not add any additional dry sweetener to it.  We loved it without the sweetener here.  Little Moochie wanted some cookie butter on top but we just added a little to his.

10 Day Fasting

Some of you know me and have been following my story.  For those that haven't, I will give details of the reason for my 10 day fast and the outcome.

To make a long story short, I have had 2 miscarriages in the past 10 months.  My doctor did genetic testing and the results were inconclusive.  She suggested that I change my diet as there may be something that is causing this to occur.  There is no way to know this 100% but it made me think about the quality of the food I was eating.

I did a lot of research, asked a lot of very educated people in the subject and searched through tons of diets and options.  I decided to give The Maker's Diet a try as a start.  It was a 10-Day fasting diet plan based on the Biblical way that Daniel and his 3 friends ate when under the King's rule.  They ate what came from the ground.  Pure fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, etc.  I had also been considering a Nutritionist diet (very similar to a vegan diet but with limited to no processed foods).

The Maker's Diet included more than just eating differently, it asked that you fast from modern technologies (distractions from what is real).  I decided to take this challenge as well with the exception of cell phone for calls and text only.

I got 2 days into this fasting program and was literally gagging.  The lack of food and variety was not working for me.  I'm one that needs variety in my diet.  I have never been able to eat the same thing over and over.  In fact, I have a hard time with leftovers because it is the same thing two days in a row.  I can do it if I really like something but have a hard time otherwise.

I talked with my very knowledgeable friend who is living a Nutritionist diet and he encouraged me to dump the fast and just eat a whole foods based diet.  From Day 3 on, I did just that and I have continued and feel great about it.  I lost 5 pounds in the 10 days and feel like I have more energy, have less headaches, less stomach upset and heartburn, etc.

Here is what I have eaten thus far:

Day 1:

1. An apple, handful of almonds and handful of pistachios
2. Lettuce greens mix, brocolli, celery & salsa for dressing
3. Large bunch of grapes, an avocado, and a handful of almonds

After this day, I felt pretty crappy.  Was super hungry all day, moody and had trouble falling asleep.

Day 2:

1.  A pear, 1/2 avocado and soaked almonds
2. 1/2 head of romaine lettuce, red pepper, tomato, 1/2 avocado and salsa for dressing
3. A coconut and an apple

Still felt crappy and decided this was not a plan that I could sustain for 10 days.  There was too little food and the preparation for several different meals just wasn't working for me.

Day 3:

1.  Green smoothie
2. 1/2 head of romaine, cucumber, grapes, cherries, soy bits (Bac'Uns), chia seeds and strawberry balsamic vinegar dressing.
3. Brown rice with a homemade stew made of homemade spaghetti sauce, tomato, organic black beans and a side dish of grapefruit.

I felt like I had more energy and could fall asleep easily in the evening.

Day 4:

1. Green smoothie
2. Same salad as Day 3 and some leftover stew meal from the evening of Day 3 and some strawberries.
3. Avocado tacos w/ Daiya cheese, athena melon and pineapple
4. Late night snack of brown rice, almond milk and Wildtree Coconut mixin  

Still felt great.  Continued to research on vitamin lack if I remained on this type of eating habit and found there could be lack of Vitamin B-12 and needs supplement but I am already on a doctor recommended supplement for this deficiency.

Day 5:

1. Green smoothie & 1/2 grapefruit
2. Spinach & romaine mix, snap peas, cucumber, grapes, cherries, and Strawberry balsamic dressing, an avocado taco and some mini sweet peppers
3. Avocado taco, athena melon and pineapple

 Still feeling great with lots of energy.

Day 6:

1. Green smoothie
2. Pear, snap peas, roasted peppers, homemade raisins and 2 carrots
3. Stew from Day 3 over brown rice and a peach
4. Late snack of brown rice with almond milk and Wildtree Coconut mixin

 This is the dreaded Day 6 I was warned about.  I was warned that on Day 6 I would feel miserable, possibly feverish and horrible.  It was true.  I felt like I would be sick all day.  I had a fever that ended in fever blisters and a horrible headache.  My body was detoxing.  I was getting cleaned from the inside out.

Day 7:

1. Breakfast bars (recipe link to come)
2. Moe's salad with veggies, black beans and salsa for dressing
3. HuHot salad and cooked veggies over brown rice

 Back to feeling great again!

Day 8:

1. 1.5 breakfast bars
2. Snap peas, mini peppers, stew from Day 3 over brown rice
3. Cherries, whole grain tortilla with homemade peanut butter and sliced apples
4. Late snack of Juice Plus+ Nutrition bar 

Tons more energy and was able to garden, clean, cook and still feel like I could keep going.

Day 9:

1. Green smoothie and strawberries
2. 6" Subway veggie on 9-grain bread
3. 6" Subway veggie on 9-grain bread
4. Late snack of sweet potato/white bean burger with avocado and a breakfast bar.

Still feeling great!

Day 10:

1. Whole grain bagel from Bread Co.
2. Sweet potato/white bean burger on tortilla with spinach and avocado and a side of strawberries
3. Oatmeal with raisins and pecans
4. Late snack of a whole cucumber

 This was the day that I had to decide if I was going to continue this or go back to what I was eating before.  Remembering the detox day, I decided there must be something good about this way of eating and decided to stick it out.  I want to eat the best I can and improve my quality of life more and more each day.  

My friend Dustin at http://www.pursueahealthyyou.com/ has been a HUGE help in this transition that I feel is the way to go for me.  I don't know that this will fix my fertility issues but it sure can't hurt.  My biggest encouragement to everyone out there is do your research.  Look for SEVERAL clinical studies that show good results from whatever plan you choose, not just something that looks good or something someone told you worked for them.  Please, educate yourself on what is wise and nutritious for you to eat and why.  If you have any questions or doubts then there is more research to be done.  It is really important that you chose something that can be a lifestyle change for you, not just a temporary fix.

That is my story thus far.  I have lost 5 lbs in the 10 days but my goal was a healthier, happier me which I feel I am on my way to achieving!  By the way, I felt great not being on all the social media for 10 days.  I was able to spend more quality time with my family, get more done and care for my nephews while their mommy got to enjoy a much needed vacation with her mother.  Remember to spend time with your family and put the media aside for later.  Your kids grow up so fast and you never know what your future holds to take the time while you have it and enjoy the life you are actually living.

Kale Chips Recipe

If you are one that likes to try new things and make healthy options for the things you love, like chips, this post is for you!

I am part of a Produce CoOp and we got a LARGE amount of Kale on our last pickup.  I had never tried Kale before and asked several others what they planned to do with their Kale.  One said she makes chips with them and gave me her recipe.  It is so simple to make, here are the steps:

• Wash the Kale
• Fold it in half with the stem on one side and the leaves on the other & rip or cut the leaves from the stem.
• Let the leaves dry or put them in a salad spinner.
• Put dressing on the leaves (I made my own Italian dressing - the dry ingredients I picked up at my local spice shop & just added the vinegar, water & oil).
• You can then add additional seasoning or just the dressing.  I added nacho cheese popcorn seasoning to mine (DELICIOUS!)
• Preheat your oven to 250 degrees.
• Place the prepared Kale in the oven and watch.
• Remove them when they are all crispy.

Keep in mind that the chips will be very brittle, they are not thick like corn or tortilla chips are, they will break apart easily.  This is great for little guys who love chips but aren't good at chewing the thick chips well (my little Moochie for instance).

I can honestly say that they taste amazing, not to mention healthy!

KAM Snaps Giveaway

If you are one that likes to make your own things and love snaps like I do, this giveaway is for you!  KAM Snaps (who I order all my snaps from) is offering a giveaway for $20 GC to their store!  Be sure to enter before April 26th when the giveaway ends.  Good luck!

Nursing Pad Giveaway!

Each month, I am going to post at least 1 giveaway for products promoting natural, healthy, green living.  This month's is nursing pads made by RJC Gift Designs.  The color and design will be a surprise.

Guest Post - Mesothelioma

Seeing the Good in the Bad

My whole life I have always been optimistic, viewing the glass as half full and
seeing the bright side of things. This characteristic has never benefited me more
than when I heard the word most people fear: cancer.

On November 21, 2005, I received my cancer diagnosis of malignant pleural
mesothelioma, at the young age of 36 and just 3.5 months after my one and only
child was born. You never expect that kind of diagnosis, especially not during
what is supposed to be the “prime” of your life, but here was me hearing the
most dreaded words. After the information sank in, I had two choices: to give up
and wallow in my own self-pity or face the illness with strength. Being the
optimist I am, I chose the second option. I stood tall and did what any new
mother would do: fight for her life to see her little girl grow up.

Cancer really is a two-headed monster and majority of people who have
experienced it will agree. It is of course one of the worst possible things that can
happen, but on the other a good thing. My life has changed ultimately for the
better due to it. I chose to see the positives of a terrible situation, perhaps to
eliminate the fear, maybe because I was determined to help other people with
the same diagnosis, or because I wanted to provide hope because that is often
the first thing people lose when becoming diagnosed with mesothelioma. No
matter the reason, I opted to find the good.

I was referred to one of the world’s leading mesothelioma doctors, who had the
ability to provide me with the hope to beat this condition! After being scheduled
to have my tumor removed on Groundhog’s Day 2006, I gave my tumor the
nickname of Punxsutawney Phil. And my family and I renamed the day,
Lungleavin Day since it was the day my lung was removed from my body. Every
year during the first weekend of February, we throw a party to celebrate this
Lungleavin Day. It is a time to celebrate life, honor the victory over fear, and
praising the good that comes from a dreadful situation. It is also a celebration of
hope.

If it weren’t for being diagnosed with this cancer, I would not have met so many
of the great people that I now know. These people are the most remarkable,
strongest, passionate, and tough individuals I have ever had the pleasure to
meet. These people are other mesothelioma fighters who are determined to
increase the knowledge of this condition, which has little awareness besides
commercials on daytime television. I now call all people affected by the disease
including wives, husbands, sons, and daughters, my friend. If it were not for my
very own battle with cancer, I would not know these great people. My life is now
filled with much more purpose and I want to keep up the efforts to provide hope
to those in need of it.

Guest post written by Heather Von St James

Blogmania Starts Tomorrow!

Tomorrow starts off the first of 2 days of Blogmania. There are over 100 blogs involved in this that are giving away things that are worth between $100-$1000. If you have the next 2 days free, you may find some really great giveaways to enter!

One blog that is giving away a great mommy giveaway is Home Grown Families. She is giving away a Peapod Creations organic wrap with matching burp cloth. This is valued at $120! Another great things is that she is offering several ways to enter a day early. Head on over and get a head start on this great giveaway!

5 Lessons Every Kid Should Learn

As parents we know that we have a responsibility to our children to teach them life lessons. There are so many things to teach them and as they grow we see the importance of each and every thing. My son is 2.5 years old and I feel like I am constantly teaching him another lesson. Whether it is preventative or disciplinary, we teach them because we love them.

If you had to make a list of 5 lessons that every kid should learn, which would be your top 5? Here is my list of 5 things that I have found I have already started teaching my little man.

1. Listen to your parents no matter what.
2. Look both ways before crossing the street while holding an adult's hand.
3. Share your things, don't be selfish.
4. Save your money.
5. Say please and thank you.

In the comments below, tell me how old your little one(s) is and what your 5 lessons would be for that age group.

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Nanny McPhee Returns blogging program, making me eligible to get a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

EcoMom Giveaway

Here is another great giveaway hosted by Closet of Free Samples for a $15 EcoMom Gift Card. There are so many ways to enter this giveaway so go and check it out! You have until September 1st to get your entries in.

Beat the Heat, Homemade Popsicles

It has been awefully hard to beat the heat around here lately! There are some easy ways to make popsicles that are healthy and delicious for your little ones and yourself for that matter! Today my mom and little guy and I went to Eckert's which is a local orchard that you can pick your own fruits. Right now peaches and blackberries are ripe. We picked a basket of peaches and were then too hot to pick blackberries.

Here is what I did with some of the peaches. First I washed the loose fuzz off the peaches. As you probably now peaches are very fuzzy. It is definitely okay to eat the fuzz but washing off the loose stuff is best. I took about 6 peaches, washed them and cut them into big slices.

The first 3 I blended as is and put the puree into ice trays. This will be a great treat to add to Sprite, lemonade, water or a spritzer. You can even use these puree cubes for homemade baby food. It will stay good in a deep freeze for about 6 months only 3 months in a fridge freezer.

The second 3 I blended up and added a cup of water. If you have yogurt, add 1/2 cup on yogurt and 1/2 cup of water to make it creamier. I then poured this puree into popsicle trays for a delicious frozen treat in a couple days. Mine made 12 popsicles. My little guy won't eat peaches but he may eat a frozen peach popsicle. We'll see!

Do you have any other ideas or recipes for fresh fruit frozen treats. The things I listed can be done with any fresh fruit. Most fresh fruit mixes are delicious too!