The Hate Cycle

Are you like me? Do you stand in front of the mirror each morning and look at your disheveled reflection saying no less than ten affirmations to yourself. Positive uplifting things that you love about your body? No...yeah me either.

It's rather unfortunate the above scenario doesn't happen in each of our lives. It should. Instead, perhaps thoughts or words come across like this

Man I need to lose weight...

My arms are huge...

I try to exercise, but everything jiggles...it's embarrassing

Ug my hair is a mess and I have the worst skin, makeup doesn't do any good...

Looks like it's sweats again this week since my gargantuan hips can't fit into any jeans...

NOTHING looks good on me...

Look at that...I didn't know a human could have three chins...

I bet my husband/wife wishes I looked like I did when we got married...

I'm going to do a week juice cleanse and eat lettuce...no junk for me...

I hate my stretch marks...I'll never wear a two piece swimming suit...

I always have to stand behind people in the pictures to hide my stomach...

Crop that one...check before I post a single picture...

Sound familiar at all, or is it just me? This past week I came to the realization after I had spent an afternoon comparing myself to others, silently admiring their fit physiques and mounds of energy. Outside I smiled, but inside I berated myself and compared every inch of my body AND personality to these other people.

As I drove home I thought about the hateful thoughts I'd allowed myself to think of my healthy, maybe a little soft, but fully functional body. Then my sweet little daughter's face passed into my mind, right now I am beautiful to her, she thinks my short, wacky hairstyle is like a rock star...she often  tells me "you look so awesome mom!" I thought to myself that it needed to stop...NOW. For her sake, for my two sons' sakes.

How long are we going to allow this cycle...this HATE CYCLE go on for our children to learn and adopt? Whether you agree with me or not, to me, each time we think those awful things about our bodies, or maybe our personalities, we are haters- of ourselves. The more we say the more we hate ourselves.

I am a spiritual person, so for me I view it as each time I look in the mirror and tell myself I'm just not good enough, I'm just not beautiful enough, I am viewing myself through Satan's eyes. Hmmm, when it's put in that context it's rather eye-opening. The being that hates me the most, absolutely despises me, pretty much wants me to be miserable...each time I say such awful things about this body, that is such a beautiful gift, I'm giving this despicable being power over me.

What would it be like if we looked at ourselves through a different being's eyes? What could we change in our overall happiness if we showered our beautiful gifts we call our bodies with love and thankful affirmations? What if we loved ourselves the way God loved us? How would that love filter into other areas of our lives and relationships? Even if you aren't religious, can you see how saying such things to ourselves is just as if a person who truly hated us were standing in the room degrading us?

I believe it would be a ripple effect. Yes, obesity is a problem. I've fallen off the bandwagon for the last year and half...I'll own it. But if we begin to love ourselves, won't we naturally want to take better care of ourselves? Won't we want to feed our bodies the proper foods? Won't we want to laugh, play and run with our families?

Now, please I know there are many content people who love themselves wholeheartedly who may be overweight...I'm so happy you have found such a peace. This message is for those who are stuck in the hate cycle. You may be 100 pounds and hate your image...I don't know. Whatever situation you're in, if you find  you spend more time focusing on negative images of yourself...you may be stuck. Would you dare say some of things you say to yourself to your child or spouse? Why do we allow ourselves to say it about our own bodies then?

This cycle needs to stop. For the little people, but also for ourselves. I do not want my daughter or sons to stand in front of the mirror someday and scrutinize themselves to the point they leave the house self-conscious and full of self-loathing. I want them to look in the mirror, smile, think of who they can serve that day, and leave my home ready to strive for greatness. Think of what we can change if we show confidence and love to ourselves...think of what that will do for our families, friends and those we have yet to meet.

So, in my personal life, part of loving myself again is choosing to take care of my body. I have been lazy and I admit it. I will be starting Eat to Live again from Dr. Joel Furman...well I've already started, and I am going to get myself back to a comfortable, healthy, and happy me. If you aren't satisfied with something, find out what it is that is making you unhappy...is it your diet...is it lack of exercise...are you not sleeping...do you need to rethink your career...maybe you just need to do some goal setting and dream reaching. Someday is too far away to strive for our goals...today is when we need to start.

I will be posting my progress sporadically with Eat to Live, comment below if you have ever had a problem with the hate cycle and how you left it or how you plan to leave it!

Stay happy and content!

Lite Ham and Cheese Skillet

Oh my today was comfort food day!!! I have a weakness and it's pasta! I try to avoid pasta as much as I can although it is my achilles heel, I have a difficult time losing weight when I eat too many breads and pastas...like a lot of people. But tonight screamed comfort food! It's cold and wet and winter is creeping it's frosty head around the corner. 

I wanted to take an old recipe that I had that definetly added to the waist line and simply Lighten it up! Well I can honestly say I like...rephrase...LOVE the new version better than my heavy, fattening first version. 

I used almond milk with a can of evaporated milk in place of half a stick of butter and cow's milk. I have to say the almond milk gave it such a pleasent nutty flavor that even my picky husband was raving about it. He asked me three times tonight if he had thanked me for dinner...either he is losing his memory and I should worry....or he really liked it. 

You can make this vegetarian by leaving the ham cubes out, which also would lighten it up even more...I added them...and I liked it! The next best thing is this is soooo easy to make! It took me 25 minutes start to finish. And it can be a one dish dinner!

One of my littles has reversed her taste for broccoli...once she loved the stuff...now she turns up her nose when she smells it steaming. So what have I been serving lately...broccoli. If you have bought and read my ebook you know that I mention that kids sometimes take 20+ times to realize they like a healthy food- and even sometimes they may change their mind. The important thing is is that you keep trying, keep serving it and don't give up, so this is the reason I added broccoli, you could add any veggie you would like and I'm sure it would be delightful. I used 100% whole grain rotini. This is something you need to watch out for- make sure your pasta boxes say 100% whole grain...even though it says wheat pasta the majority of the time it will say 51% whole wheat or whole grain...tricky. 

If you are ready for comfort food, that I would consider not completely 100% healthy, but still a much lighter healthier version...then you are in for a treat with this recipe~

Lite Ham and Cheese Skillet

1 Box Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Rotini

1 c cubed ham

1/2 cup shredded cheese

1 cup Almond milk

1 can evaporated milk

2 cups of chopped broccoli crowns

In large pot cook pasta to al dente. Meanwhile, in a medium sauce pot heat almond milk, evaporated milk, ham, and broccoli over med heat. Stir often to avoid burning the milk. When pasta is al dente drain and place into a skillet. Pour milk mixture over the pasta and continue to heat over med-low until sauce begins to thicken, add cheese and stir into pasta. Cook for another five minutes or until the sauce is very thick and creamy! Serve with a nice salad! Enjoy!

Living Simple and Healthy

 I feel I haven't been able to post that much lately (if I don't post everyday I feel like I'm neglecting the blog). One reason is I've been slamming with the final wrap ups of the eBook design and also my stinking computer has been having the hardest time uploading the pictures I take...it's a bummer. Well I've been trying for  few days to upload some now finally this morning it decided to be nice to me and let me get some pictures to post for you guys.

As a working mom I don't always have the energy and time to make time consuming meals. Sometimes I do, most times they taste great and I'm proud of my hard work, but there are other times when I  am so stressed out that I don't even enjoy the meal because it doesn't taste that great-then it just makes me sad.

It is awesome when I can make something nutritious and delicious without a huge mess or without a huge prep time. I wanted to share some simple food ideas that I've made that my family has loved! These meals are easy to make and the other plus...they are cheap and go a long way! Bring on the healthy and happy in these dinners!

Meal #1 Maple Baked Beans with Baked Potato

Beans:

1 can chili beans

1 can black beans

2 tsp pure maple extract

2 T honey

1 tsp cumin

1/2 onion, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add all ingredients into and 8x8 baking dish, use the bean liquid too, don't rinse the beans. Mix well. Cover and bake for 15 minutes. Remove cover and bake another 10 minutes. Delicious! 

* I had the potatoes baking before hand, I added the beans about 25 minutes into the baked potatoes and took them out together! Easy.

These are called Pantry tacos since I just looked around and used anything I saw that would go well together in my fridge and pantry! It worked great! That's all I have to say...delicious. 

Meal #2 Pantry Tacos and sweet potato fries

Taco filling

 1 can beans (any kind) drained and rinsed

1 c low sodium vegetable broth

1/2 chopped onion

1 red bell pepper chopped

1 handful spinach finely chopped

3-4 canned jalapenos with juice

1 T cumin

Add all ingredient to a medium sauce pan. Heat on med-low and cover. Let simmer for 15-20 minuted until vegetables have achieved desired tenderness.

Sweet Potato Fries

2 julienne d peeled sweet potatoes

paprika, salt and pepper to taste

2 tsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pour olive oil over potatoes and add seasonings. Bake for 15 minutes then flip the fries over. Bake another 15 minutes until they are golden and crispy! Enjoy

It is so nice to have healthy meals that are easy and fun to eat! Does anyone have some easy fun, healthy recipes that they enjoy in their families? Leave a comment!

 

Vegan Cheezy Quesadillas

One of my greatest loves, especially during pregnancy, are cheese quesadillas! I obviously don't eat them anymore. Cheese offers tons of saturated fats and really unhealthy stuff for our bodies! I don't know why I loved them so much, but lately I've been wanting a make over of a quesadilla so I can enjoy again and my kids can have some variety for lunch!

These little quesadillas took a little bit more time to make than original ones, but they were so delicious! I loved them and my kids loved them too! It's so nice to make something that turns out even better than the original and that is better for you! As you can see from the picture of my son's cute little hand they kept coming back for more!

Cheese Quesadillas

1 c raw cashews, soaked in water for an hour

1/2 c nutritional yeast

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 garlic clove

1/3 c milk

4 tortillas

1 can beans (any kind)

Drain nuts. Add nuts, yeast, nutmeg, red pepper flakes, garlic and milk to a blender. Blend for two minutes until completely smooth. Add beans to two tortillas. Pour cheeze sauce over the top and top with remaining two tortillas. Microwave for 30 seconds. Garnish with your favorite salsa or avocado. Enjoy

What's The Problem?

I've been thinking about some things for a few days that have got me asking questions to myself and thinking about others. Some things I notice about myself, others, and society in general:

1. People want to eat healthy
2. People want to eat healthy, but they don't want to give up their favorite foods. They want a fast, magic pill to do it.
3. There is a huge industry of health advise and many conflicting theories
4. Generally people understand that fruits and vegetables are the healthiest foods for you.
5. There are a lot of politics in public nutrition information
6. Most parents want their children to lead healthy, happy lives
7. Most people don't believe their kids will like healthy food
8. There is a fear of failure with healthy living

Does anyone agree or disagree? People I have talked with, in general understand that plant food, aka fruit and vegetables are the healthiest for us. Most have not researched about dairy and how many doctors and studies are now explaining that yes, dairy is hard for our bodies to handle. If you haven't noticed dairy is one of the top allergies in children. A lot of people disagree with the fact that you can get healthier protein through beans and plants, meat isn't the only food that has protein. You can get it elsewhere with fewer calories.

I'm not writing this to say my way of eating is best, or judge anyone else for how they choose to eat! No way, no judgement right? I'm writing this because so many people have been in the situation where fear sets in. Whether it's fear of gaining weight, fear of unhealthy children, or just confusion on all the diet plans available to us.

I want to really share what I know, what has worked for me, and to explain that my insides are healthy! I have adequate calcium and protein! A diet rich in vegetable carbohydrates is essential! It will take time to get your kids used to it, if they aren't already. Accept that fact and move forward. Adding tons of fresh fruit and frozen fruit is needed as well. Lettuce, spinach, and greens have protein! Did you know that? Add these with beans and nuts you will have enough protein!
Calcium is everywhere. Almond milk has more calcium than cow's milk. When my kids had to go to a home day care, my day care lady was provided food by the state for the child care center. She told me the state was changing the regulations on cow's milk. After age two they will only provide skim milk because they feel the milk was assisting in obesity in children. Whole milk is given to infants for fat reasons. They need fat for their brains. Want to know how I gave my son fat? Avocado, blended seeds and almond butter. We blended avocado in smoothies for him. He drank almond milk. This is nasty- but one of his favorite sandwiches when he was about 9 months old was mushed avocado, almond butter, with a little applesauce! Yuck, but whatever it had the good fat he needed. The cow's fat was tough for me to let go of with my son (my daughter, I didn't really understand better so she got cow's milk). I worried that I wouldn't provide him with enough fat so his brain wouldn't develop properly. Well so far the pediatricians have said he's just healthy as can be, trust me he's not a little guy...he's my little chunk :)!
I don't like red meat! I like the taste, but I feel it isn't healthy for our bodies in calories and types of fat it puts into us. If you're a meat eater I think a healthier route is white meat poultry. I don't think using olive oil and other oils for cooking everyday is healthy! Oil is fat, no matter what oil it is. I think using very small amounts every once in awhile is okay. I have experienced massive, healthy weight loss eating a plant rich diet. I never felt tired, I never felt sick or that something was wrong inside.
 I suffered from chronic headaches, they disappeared. On a personal note, I had a screwy monthly cycle....a problem for a lot of women...it regulated! These are beliefs and passions I have, that have proven themselves to me. My kids have adapted, it's not perfect eating all the time. Just last night I explained that I had to persuade my kids to eat dinner, but they are beginning to understand a base for healthy living!

I love the way I eat because it will sustain weight loss, I won't be constantly fighting against my weight if I keep it up. That is a relief to some of my fears as well!

Do I believe that I will never be at risk for disease? No, I don't always eat perfect, but I'd like to help my preventative chances any way I can.

How do you live? What are your concerns? Do you feel a difference when you eat a certain way?



10 Reasons Why I'm Choosing Plant Food

It is a decision that isn't reached lightly. It's tough when you will be the only "different" person in your circle. It can be stressful to think about others adapting food for you when you come over for dinner!  It's overwhelming in the society we live in! What could be stemming all this concern? Choosing a plant food diet. I've been stewing over this for a long time now. I believe and know that plant foods are the healthiest option. I've sat and worried that I wouldn't be able to "let go" of the old foods I so enjoyed ; I've been worried I would fail. 

Well after all this time I've decided to do what I've been wanting to do for awhile now, but was too hesitant or concerned what others would think of me to do it! I'm dropping what little meat I had left in my diet and going to be plant strong! This decision was not reached lightly. I've researched, prayed, yes I prayed about it, discussed it with my family, and really analyzed my reasons for doing so. I'm not pressuring anyone else in my family to join me completely. My husband informed me after my announcement to him today that he is just a few steps behind me! He supports me, but isn't ready to give it all up himself and that's okay. He did want some praise for not wanting bacon anymore though, which I freely gave!

10 Reasons Why I've decided to Go plant strong:

~Plant based diets have had a plethora of studies given showing how they reverse and prevent numerous diseases. Diabetes, heart disease, MS, depression, anxiety, these are only a few!

~I've felt the difference between the way my body feels when I eat a "normal diet" and a plant diet! It is night and day. I don't get stomach cramps, I don't get headaches, when I'm full it's not unbutton my pants full it's an Oh, my that was so good, full! My skin is better, and I've lost a lot of weight without counting calories or limiting my food intake

~I want to age comfortably. Research has shown that obesity causes so many problems in the elderly (as well as the young). After working in the geriatric population with occupational therapy, I have seen how much being overweight can affect healing and happiness. I don't want to be lifted by a machine, or need assistance to roll in bed. Not for a reason that I can control such as my weight. I want to keep my mind; food choices have been shown to either increase your risk of Dementia or decrease your risk (eat your blueberries and spinach)

~It has been shown that vegetarians and vegans are among the most fit people inside and out. They have slimmer bodies as well as lower cholesterol and blood pressure. 

~It's not as hard as I thought. I promote the fact that baby steps are incredibly important. In our eBook we will be publishing this is our theme. I've been eating a 90% plant based diet for so long now, I asked myself...why not? You eat chicken and turkey sparingly, you've given up the hardest thing for you...cheese. Is poultry really that amazing to the taste buds that I couldn't let it go? Not really. I do find it tasty, but I'd survive without it.

~I can get ample calcium and protein from plants without saturated fats and calories that animal products bring. Beans are comparable to meats in terms of protein. Quinoa is a staple at our home and it is a complete protein which brings the omega fatty acids into your diet as well. Nuts and nut milks have more calcium at times than cows milk!

~It has helped me with budgeting! Buying more produce has actually proved cheaper for my family and I. We don't stock up on tons of meats that can be $5 or more for small amounts. It's also helping us support our local farmers.

~I want to keep things flowing! I have experienced how nice it feels to have good intestinal movement if you know what I mean...let's get personal. It's better to have them flowing than to not, am I right?

~Overall I just feel better. I want that feeling always. I enjoy a plant based diet, I love knowing that less animal products help the environment and I love that it's a healthy route!

~ All these are wonderful reasons, but my number one reason for doing this, is my children! I have seen how they have adjusted their tastes and their food choices. My three year old was offered a store bought rice krispie treat the other day, she politely gave it back and said "I don't want it, it's not healthy!" She's three! I want them to have the knowledge to make their own choices and to give them the best opportunity for health that I know possible. They are my reason, above anything else. They adapt and do love plant foods too it's not a myth that kids will eat broccoli...they will but parents need to set the example first!

There are a lot of critics on this way of eating. That's okay. I welcome it. I have done my research, and I've had experience with it. I don't judge other's for their eating habits, I feel this is the best move for me and I encourage others to find out if it is a good move also for yourself and families

Some good sites to research

diseaseproof.com

http://www.livestrong.com/article/466538-top-ten-health-reasons-for-plant-based-diets/

http://www.forksoverknives.com/

http://www.thechinastudy.com/

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4304/7-Reasons-Why-You-Should-Eat-PlantBased.html

The Epidemic and Our Kids

Here is some food for thought whether you're single, married with no children or have 6 kids. I've been shuffling around the PCRM site reading articles and learning more about healthy living and plant foods. I have found a lot of interesting and disturbing facts. Most of the facts are things I've read previously, but it never ceases to get me to stop an evaluate how I'm feeding my kids.

I am easy to feed. I know what I like and I am willing to branch out and try new things. My husband is a big boy, he knows what is healthy and he can decide for himself. My little ones, are not always so easy to feed yet they should be my primary focus!

I'm not a perfect mom when it comes to many things, and feeding my kids is one of them. I try very hard to incorporate healthy, plant foods into their diets. It doesn't always come without a fight though. My little boy has found his throwing arm! He also has discovered he gets a reaction from mom and dad when he throws a fit (mom and dad are working on that ) so he has become a little bit of a challenge. He will eat nearly any fruit I place in front of him, but vegetables can be a different story! He did enjoy the Garden Vegetable Soup last night which made me shout for joy! So we handle a lot of this with smoothies typically. He loves a smoothie with avocado and spinach mixed in with delicious berries! It's a work in progress. My daughter is able to reason with us now (thank goodness) and is soaking up all the information she can about why we eat this or why she needs to eat that! It's been a big relief to see her fall in love with healthy foods. It doesn't always happen, she still loves a good sweet and there are times when we allow it. When we are at Grandma's house, we let Grandmas be grandmas! But....she can still recognize that it's not healthy for her, and she will say "this is not healthy" right before she devours whatever she's eating!

I've learned that 1/3 of our children today are not only overweight but obese! It makes me sad not only for their physical health, but mental health as well. I remember middle school, kids can be mean to each other! Some think before they speak and it's not easy to forget harsh words.

Dr. Benjamin Spock, pediatircian and resarcher said that it isn't neccesarily the amount of food that kids eat it is the types of food they are eating. When you need to have your child involved in a weight loss plan add more plant foods and many times you will acheive the weight loss you need without going hungry.

It's not always easy feeding kids healthy, it can be a long and frustrating road, but I can tell you from personal experience, watching your child go from wanting boxed crackers and cookies to asking for celery, bananas and grapes for snack is a feeling that I personally treasure in my top 5 best feelings ever box!

We're shaping our children's future in most everything we do. In the values we instil in them, the time we spend with them, their education, let's not forget we're also shaping their health future by what we are feeding them now! Keep trying and don't give up on some foods with your little ones, it takes time...not a few days it can take months! But the satisfaction in seeing your child's tastes change just like yours is overwhelming!

Eat Yourself Healthy and Happy

Geeks Unite! Homemade Butter Beer!

Okay, here is my guilty confession...I am a HUGE  Harry Potter fan! I have read all the books 10 times each, and of course my favorite Christmas present last year was the entire 8 disc set of Harry Potter movies! Well to my happy surprise when I logged on to facebook this morning I learned it was J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter's Birthdays! So of course we had to have some fun and make a Harry Potter inspired recipe! Well, I thought Butter Beer, that is mentioned often in the books, why not try that out! Well of course I should have gotten a clue from the name that the recipes wouldn't be great for you. Well I'll tell you this, I did try to healthify this recipe and it turned out super great. However, it was still a little bit too much for me and I think my kids also after a little while. We aren't used to so much sweet in one wack. It tasted really good and it was worth it for the fun of it, but still it was a little too much. I can't imagine what the original recipe would taste like.

So if you're geeky like I am, this will be fun for you to try. I'm also linking the original recipe, which is actually a Harry Potter recipe page so it has other ones as well, I think some would be fun for Halloween time!!! So curl up with the Prisoner of Azkaban and Enjoy

Homemade Butter Beer

2 1/2 C Almond Milk

1/2 C butterscotch chips or sauce

Heat almond milk and butterscotch chips in saucepan until chips are completely melted.

For the topping

3 C confectioners sugar

4-5 T vegan margarine, soy free (you can also use another butter or margarine)

1/3 C coconut milk (or almond milk)

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Cream together margarine and sugar, slowly add milk and continue beating. Add in spices and beat until all combined. Spoon on top of the milk, it should eventually float to the top! Sugary, but still fun and yum!

This is the link to the original site

***** UPDATE****  my friend posted a yummy sounding sugar free version of this at her blog!!! Enjoy

Mini Vegetarian Shepard's Pies

 

 There was a hint of Fall in the air for me today! It was pretty mild this morning as I left for work, and it hadn't reached it's blazing summer heat as I was leaving work. I feel I'm never quite satisfied with the seasons and holidays.
When it gets to this point in the summer I start planning for my fall and Christmas festivities. I'm already planning food! Derek and I discussed our Halloween costumes today! They're going to be great by the way. I just can't wait for the Holidays. However, the day after Christmas I'm usually wishing the icy snow away and looking forward to St. Patrick's Day and Easter, and for sure by the time the Bi-polar spring is in full swing (as in we get all four seasons in one day) I'm praying for Summer weather! It's a vicious cycle.

Well today I wanted to have a little "fall like" comfort food for our dinner, and of course it had to be something mini size for our ABC "M" day! I have become the BIGGEST fan of vegetarian Shepard's pies ever since I made my first one! This is just a fun remake of my original posting. This is not a gluten-free version due to the biscuit crust, however the traditional Shepard's Pie is. So check out that recipe here, oh it was one of the first recipes I posted....ahhh a sentimental moment!

Anyway, I love every single bit of the zesty sauce covering all the delicious vegetables that get crammed into this little baby! If it wouldn't add to my hips so much I'd probably eat all of them! Trust me I've eaten the whole original Shepard's pie by myself over a period of 24 hours, it's ridiculous!!!

These were a fun thing for the kids to see, I think they thought it was fun that their dinner was in a little cup from a muffin tin! From my experience with my two kids, this is an excellent way to sneak in those veggies and have them gobble them up. I think it's the mashed potatoes, if it's covered in fluffy potatoes, whatever is underneath it must be just as amazing right! Well whatever it is it works in this house. This meal is almost pure veggies so I'm happy!

I used a garlic biscuit crust, I really liked the taste. The only issue I had was removing the pies from the muffin tin. They fell apart pretty easily. I didn't grease my tin hardly at all so that could play a part, but I also think the biscuits just crumbled under everything and me trying to pop them out. It obviously didn't effect the taste at all, but if you're looking for a pretty appearance I suggest greasing the pan a little heavier than I did. I was really excited about sharing this recipe since it fits right along with my budgeting tips on eating healthy for less. I used some left over vegetables from  my veggie kabobs from two days ago, which is one of the tips I gave. Plan your left overs so that you can use them in other meals throughout the week! This will save money and make sure you don't waste your food. After I had assembled all the mini pies, I still had mashed potatoes left and the vegetable filling, so what do you do with that. I stuck it in a disposable baking dish, covered it really well and plopped it in the freezer! So now I have an original Vegetarian Shepard's Pie waiting for me to stick in the oven in the coming weeks. The sauce is a little different in this recipe, but it will still be wonderful! Easy peasy! You can view my budget post here, there will be more on budgeting to come since it was so popular!

Mini Vegetarian Shepard's Pies

5 potatoes, peeled

1 C low sodium vegetable broth

1 can tomato paste

1 broccoli crown, chopped

1 zucchini

1 small yellow squash

1/2 asparagus bunch

1/2 yellow onion

2-3 carrots chopped, or 1 C shredded carrots

1/2 T cumin

1/2 T Mrs. Dash seasoning

1 tsp red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

For the crust

2 C whole wheat flour

1 tsp raw cane sugar

1 T baking powder

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

3/4 C almond milk (or any milk you'd like)

1/3 C margarine or butter (I used vegan margarine and it was perfect)

Wash and peel potatoes. Chop into small pieces and cover with water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender. Add small amount of margarine or butter and small amount of milk. Use beater to whip potatoes. Beat until frothy. Chop all the vegetables to the desired size and set aside with potatoes. 

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees. For the crust add all the dry ingredients to a medium sized bowl. Melt margarine and add to the dry ingredients. Stir until crumbly.  Combine egg and milk in a small bowl and beat together until egg is well mixed. Add into the dry ingredients. Beat or stir until well combined. Grease muffin tin and spoon in batter 1/4 full. Pre-bake for  4-5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. Add vegetables to skillet with seasonings, tomato paste, and vegetable broth. Simmer covered for 5-7 minutes until just tender. Using a spoon make wells in the biscuits in the muffin tins since the dough should not be baked through.

Add vegetables to the well in the crust and top with mashed potatoes.

Place in oven and bake for another 7-8 minutes, until potatoes are golden and biscuits are baked completely through! Let cool for 10 minutes before removing from the muffin tins. Enjoy!!!!

Musings from Healthy Mommy Me!

In many previous posts I've mentioned my little ones! I've mentioned struggles I've had in getting them to eat healthy, in trying to balance my time and accomplish everything I'd like to do! There have been times where I am so stinkin' tired I stare at my overflowing sink that is full of stinky, dirty dishes and wonder to myself...

"why the heck do you spend so much time finding all these recipes and whipping them up (sometimes failing) when you can run to the store down the street, grab a box of hamburger helper for $2.00 and be done with dinner in 15 minutes and have a one dish clean up!"

 It seems easy, right, to do that. As adults, we typically know what is good and bad for our bodies (even if we don't eat well). Many of us who strive for a healthy lifestyle grew up on a typical diet, with white rice, white bread, meat as the main dish, refined sugar, etc. Yet here we are learning about healthy eating! So I ask you all, why not let our kids do the same? Why not have the typically balanced diet, of food that isn't super awful, (I'm not saying that you feed your kids doughnuts and fries all day long), but the standard set up of a meal and just stop worrying so much about it! When they are adults they can figure it out for themselves!

It can be so difficult to convince a young child to eat something healthy!

BUT....I'll tell you that is is worth it! When I feel like complaining I look around at my two little sweeties and realize, that yes sometimes it is hard to introduce a new food to my children, but 95% of the time after giving them a chance they end up loving it!

I remember that I'm helping them get a taste for healthy foods now and I'm helping them learn what is healthy and what isn't. My hope is that by the time they have grown and left my home and they are on their own, they won't do what I did and buy fake foods, they will hit the produce section, and bulk sections of the stores and load up on fruits, veggies, nuts etc and know what to do with  them! I hope they will have an influence on their peers, future spouses, children so they can pass down the information they've learned to their families!

I have no control over what they choose to do in their lives someday, these are my hopes for them! I am dedicated to helping them establish this lifestyle for themselves!

More than developing a lifestyle I'm trying to defend them! I am a believer that what we eat can seriously compromise our defenses in our bodies against certain diseases.
These are from my own experience with my children: My daughter is the oldest, I fed her whatever I could because I just knew she wouldn't eat "good stuff" she got a large intake of cow's milk, cheese, chicken nuggets, bread, etc. In her first 18 months of life she had a total of 8 ear infections and mild eczema!
With my Son, when our little man was old enough to eat solids we had already begun the change to our way of eating. My son never had an ear infection until he was 1 year old! And guess what. It was during our move. We were bouncing back and forth between relatives homes while we were waiting for ours to open up, I gave him cow's milk, yogurt and string cheese almost daily, and there you go a massive ear infection with fever to follow! He's never had one since! My daughter still has slight eczema on her cheeks, but hasn't had another ear infection since we began this process!

"...You can't gain excellent health by consuming medicinal substances or herbal remedies only. Superior health is the result of nutritional excellence and healthy habits; it does not result from taking remedies. This does not mean that natural substance with medicinal properties or even a drug should never be used, it means we pay a price...from the use of such substance and we are better off if we can live in a manner to avoid such things. "

"Children's diets today are notoriously low in beneficial omega-3 fats found in foods such as walnuts, flax seeds, soybeans, leafy greens, and certain fish. Omega-3, DHA is an essential nutrient for optimal brain and eye function."
                                                                                   Dr. Joel Fuhrman, MD Disease- Proof Your Child

I think we as parents need to give ourselves some credit. We all love our children more than the world, we all want what's best for them. There are days where it is hard to reason with them, especially when you know what you are giving them is going to benefit their lives! My advice as a fellow mommy,who has seen this way of eating bring more health to her own precious little ones, is keep trying!!!! Constantly remember you are shaping their life for the long haul! Who better to teach them about health and nutrition, but mom! Lead by example! Research all you can, I recommend the books, Eat to Live and Disease-Proof Your Child both by Joel Furhman, they are intense, but they have given me a good outline on how I want to feed my family. I may not follow them perfectly, but even following 85-90% has made such an impact on my family!!! Good luck! We're all in this together!

Vegetarian Kabobs (with vegan option)

It's "K" day and all I have to say is....MMMMM....that's what comes to mind when I think about this perfect summertime meal! I love kabobs, but guess what! I don't have a grill!!! What.... I know we're missing out, we're saving up for one! Anyways so I decided to bake these veggie kabobs and they turned out terrific! I served them with Quinoa and it turned out to be a perfect meal. You really don't need chicken or beef to make a kabob enjoyable!

I had some negativity in my head while I was making dinner though, I kept saying to myself, my kids aren't going to eat this. I just know my little man is going to throw it everywhere, my daughter will just cry about how she doesn't like it before she tries it, but I reeeaaaallly want to make this for dinner so I'll just deal with it then!!!

Well, my little pumpkins shut those negative thoughts right up! Yes my son had a hard time eating it, but that was because he was having a tough time handling the fork, once I helped out a little bit he couldn't get enough of everything!!! My little girl ate it all, except she asked if she could not eat the onions, I agreed, she ate all the carrots and squash so how could I not!

Dinners like these, where I think they are just going to be "Mom and Dad" dinners, but turn into healthy family dinners...this is why I do this!!! It makes it so worth it! I encourage you to make these your own, I used vegetables that I love, but add mushrooms, peppers, whatever you'd like!

Vegetarian Kabobs

1 zucchini squash

1 yellow squash

1/2 onion

3 full carrots

1 T olive oil

1/2 packet of Italian dressing seasoning

Chop vegetables into desired sizes. Make sure the onions aren't in a ring. Add olive oil to skillet and heat over medium. Add vegetables and seasoning and saute for 7 minutes or so to start tenderizing and making sure they are well coated with the seasoning.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Assemble vegetables onto skewer, and place on cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes then remove and flip skewers to the other side, be careful not to get burned by the stinking pan

Bake for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven! Enjoy with quinoa, salad, or brown rice!!!!

Perfect for a BBQ

*Italian Dressing Seasoning is not vegan, so for a vegan option use Mrs. Dash vegetable seasoning, with 1 tsp dried parsley, 1 tsp dried basil, and 1 tsp dried oregano!

Health Shopping on a Budget

Over the passed few weeks I've had several emails and conversations with people about how they would like to eat healthy, but they feel it would be out of their budget. Well I'm going to bring you into my shopping world and maybe give some insight on how to shop for healthy foods on a budget!

My family is in no way rich. My husband is still a student and I work part-time, two kids require a lot of expenses so, yes I still live on a budget! I am spending more than I originally was on groceries because I'm constantly inventing and trying new recipes! And unfortunately sometimes my creations don't turn out how I'd like them too, for example yesterday :(

These were meant for "J" day jelly filled brownies, they sounded sooo good to me, I had thought them up, made them healthy, but the end result was blah...garbage here we come! And that is a peak at what my kitchen looks like on a regular basis! I'm really hating dishes lately :) So when mishaps such as the brownies happen, I do end up wasting some food. The good thing about this blog though for you all, is the recipes I post have been tried and tested, so hopefully you won't throw food out and waste your money!

So I've explained to people that in the beginning when you are building up your stock of foods, such as chia seeds, flax, quinoa, flours, nutritional yeast, and other grains it may be quite expensive. I couldn't wait to start trying food in this lifestyle so I remember it was quite the dent in the wallet. If you are more patient than I am, every time you go grocery shopping add a health food item to your list from a bulk section and stock up on that item, maybe Spelt flour, or maybe you want to start with Quinoa, whatever it is you can always go slow then it won't be such a financial burden!

Okay, today was grocery shopping day, I plan weekly meals since it's easier for us to set up a set budget for each week, if you enjoy doing two weeks of food at a time, by all means go for it, just make sure you adjust your budget! One of the most important things I like to do to help me stay within our budget is first, use cash for groceries if you can...discipline yourself to know when the cash is gone...no more groceries! When it comes to that point you need to get creative with meals, eat salads, or leftovers, or PB&J's for a few days.

 The next tip I can give you is never, I repeat never go to the grocery store without your list, and maybe don't go with your husband :) On one side of my list I plan my meals. I try and make meals that I can incorporate leftovers into another meal, for example tonight we made veggie kabobs, I made sure to save some extra vegetables for my mini veggie Shepard's pie's in a few nights! Neat right! On the other side of the list I write down the grocery list. I always scan my cupboards first to see what I already have, it's not fun to come home and realize you have about 4 cans of tomato paste, especially when your living on a budget! So check your cupboards first!

Okay so we headed to the store! Something I really try to do on my grocery trips is...

I take my kids! I know it's not always a joy to bring the kids to the grocery store, but I find it such a valuable time to really teach them about healthy foods vs. unhealthy foods! My daughter wanted to pick something out...we didn't run to the cookie section...nope she picked a cucumber! Yes, a cucumber! I didn't encourage it, it was all her, (because to be honest I'm not the biggest cucumber fan) anyways my point is over the last few months my kids have always learned at such young ages what is healthy and what isn't. I find that has been my greatest accomplishment with this, and no amount of grocery bill will take that away from me!

Okay, so we've established that some health food is expensive, here is a health food that I didn't buy, but love to have on hand for my desserts, Raw Cane Sugar

I bought this exact bag a month ago and still have half of it! That's the beauty of it all, your taste buds adjust to not using so much sugar and sweets! So yes this bag may be smaller than a refined white sugar bag, but it takes me just as long to use it! And it's not very expensive.

I'm not sure if you want me to write out my whole receipt, but the grand total for our grocery trips was
$69.76

As you can see I bought 36 items, which will give us 7-9 meals, and 4-5 snacks and treats! I used two coupons for two half gallons of almond milk! I love it we get so many of those since that's the only milk we buy at Smith's!

I bought some Agave today and it was $4.00 for a 24 oz bottle!!! Most of my list today consisted of produce with some chicken and 1 lb of turkey. And the milk of course. I had a few other things on there as well! If you feel this is still a high number for a week's worth of food, remember I'm making meals each day for blogging purposes, I don't eat a lot of leftovers, we might have them for lunch so they don't go to waste... you can cut this number down if you plan maybe 4 healthy meals a week, leftovers a night or two and then whatever meal you want another night! I've got some cookies planned, sweet breads, and muffins planned with this list as well! I used to use a lot of coupons for food all the time, I saved a lot of money, but fruits and vegetables weren't my main food, we ate them of course, but I also had a lot of boxed food, and my kids hated vegetables. They weren't picking cucumbers out at the store! This budget is not far off from what I was spending before healthy eating. This number may increase when I stop in for my nuts and nut butters, they tend to be some of my most expensive items I buy!

I hope these tips help you! It's very much so worth it. Just do what you can. Start slowly and plan, plan, plan your meals! It will save you money if you write them out!!!! Good luck and keep it up!

Honey Oat Muffins

I feel like the last few days we've been on the go and I haven't been able to stick to my typical eating routine. I haven't been bad with my food choices, at the baby shower the other day I had no desserts and only had my couscous salad and a green salad, I went to a movie last night with my husband, I did have some sips of his root beer, but that's it! Even after trying to be really good on the go, the up and down eating schedules and not having typical small meals throughout the day has sent my stomach for a loop and my energy levels down, I've been craving whole natural foods today, so for snacks I indulged on nectarines and super bars, for lunch I had an awesome spinach salad with chia seeds and today for my family I made these Honey Oat muffins! They are full of yummy healthy ingredients, they taste like naturally sweetened, so they aren't quite as sweet as my zucchini muffins or blueberry muffins, I used agave in those these have raw honey, but I needed just some overall good health food!

I am happy that it has come to this point with me, that a couple sips of root beer or some missed veggie servings really cause a change in my energy and feeling good!! That must mean somethings going right with the way we eat! It just is more proof to me that our bodies really do want natural, wholesome foods, they don't throw a fit when I eat those, but if I go without you bet this body is going to have something to say.

I'm glad these muffins turned out, I wanted to make them for "H" day for my family but I also wanted to make them vegan! I decided to see if I could master making muffins from my own mind without eggs, you know I think I did it! I think I should have taken them out a little bit sooner, but they still tasted great!

Honey Oat Muffins

1 3/4 C whole wheat flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)

1/4 C ground flax seed

3/4 C oats

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 - 3/4 C honey (depending on desired sweetness)

1 C almond milk

1 T apple cider vinegar

1/4 C applesauce

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine almond milk and vinegar in small bowl and set aside. Combine all dry ingredients in large bowl. Mix vanilla, almond extract, applesauce and honey with almond milk. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add wet ingredients. Fold everything together so that it is well mixed. Pour dough into paper muffin liners or grease muffin tin with coconut oil and pour dough in. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Let cool for 10 minutes.

 Optional- you can sprinkle some raw cane sugar on top before you bake just for an extra sweet taste. Also add nuts or raisins if you'd like! Enjoy

French Toast Dunkers

Good Morning and Happy "F" day! I have a few fun things planned for this day, I am focusing on fruit today, since fruit is an amazing thing in this world, so beneficial and tasty! So some fun facts about fruit:

-Fruits are excellent sources of fiber and simple sugars, but remain very low in calories...so eat up

- Fruits contain provide lots of soluble dietary fiber, so it helps ward off too many fats, but also helps in digestion... and prevents getting plugged up if you know what I mean

- Fruits are full of anti-oxidants, they can help our bodies prevent diseases, cancers, and help our bodies immune systems fight against these ailments!

-Fruits with a blue or deep purple pigment, acai, blueberries, black grapes, have been known to help prevent cancer, premature aging, and also may linked to dementia/Alzheimer's prevention

-Fruits have so many vitamins and minerals that they promote cell regeneration...which turns into slower aging!!!! 

Did you know fruits did all these things? We all know they are healthy, but these are just some of the reasons why they are healthy. I think we should have more than the standard food pyramid servings! I really try and tie them into every meal, and many snacks!!!!

Okay so now onto breakfast...I decided to make French Toast Dunkers with berry puree as a dipping sauce, I thought they turned out really great, my kids loved them too. If you don't want to do the berry puree then use maple syrup! I liked these since they were super quick, and not quite as messy with my kids believe it or not, whenever I give them pancakes or waffles with syrup it always gets all over them and my chairs, counters you name it. These, however, seemed to be a much easier clean up...which I vote for.  If you'd like a vegan recipe for french toast, check out this recipe right here...it was also a huge hit!

French Toast Dunkers

3 slices whole wheat or whole grain bread

2 egg whites

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)

Slice the bread into 1/2 inch strips. Combine egg whites, cinnamon, and vanilla to small bowl and whisk until mixed very well. Lightly grease skillet with coconut oil. Heat skillet to med. heat. Dip strips of bread into egg mixture until both sides are coated. Let excess drip off. Place strips on the skillet and cook until both sides are brown, about  a minute or two on each side! Serve with berry puree dipping sauce or maple syrup, Enjoy

Berry Puree

2 c fresh berries

3 T maple syrup

1 T raw cane sugar (optional)

Place all ingredients into blender and blend until completely pureed. Serve as is. 

"D" day treats and snacks, Dip day!

I love a fun snack that really can be a whole family affair! This idea for Alphabet Days was really to involve my kids in learning, so these two snacks were really fun because they were able to help out a lot. Do you want to know something that makes it even better...no baking, I'm so sick of my hot oven in the middle of July...sweet. To go along with "D" day I decided to have a chocolate dipping sauce that would harden for a little extra sweetness. Don't be fooled though, the chocolate sauce is made with natural ingredients and the super bars are chuck full of nutrients! That's why I call them super bars, they have three major super foods all rolled into them! These were simple to make and kids can easily help you assemble them. The super bars just take some time to set up in the freezer before they are ready to be gobbled up! My family specially sets aside one night a week for a "family night" we teach lessons about values and we of course always have a treat, I thought this would be a perfect  family night snack! Enjoy

Graham Cracker Sandwiches

8 full graham crackers

All natural peanut butter

Break graham cracker pieces so they are in the smallest pieces they can be, spread peanut butter in desired amount. Sandwich peanut butter in between crackers. Set aside. Dip in fudge sauce (recipe at the bottom)

Super Bars

3 c oats

1 c chopped almonds

1 c chopped cashews

1 c dried blueberries

2 T ground flax seed

2 T chia seeds

1 c natural peanut butter or almond butter

2 T coconut oil

3/4 c raw honey, or mixed with agave

1/4 tsp vanilla (optional)

1/4 c chocolate chips (optional)

Combine all dry ingredients in large bowl. In small microwaveable bowl combine coconut oil, honey, peanut butter, and vanilla. Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir until all ingredients have melted together. Combine wet ingredients with dry ingredients. Stir and fold together until completely combined. Smash into a baking dish until the bottom is completely covered. Put in the freezer for about an hour to stand up. Take them out and cut them into squares. Dip in chocolate sauce if desired! Store in the fridge! These are great for workout recovery!

Chocolate Sauce

1 T peanut butter or other nut butter

1/4 c cocoa

1/4 c coconut oil

1/4 c agave

combine all ingredients into small sauce pan. Heat over medium, whisking continuously until all the ingredients have turned into a thin chocolate sauce. Pour into a bowl so you can dip your snacks. This might firm up in the fridge if you'd like to use if for ice cream or something instead, so you may have to re-melt it down!

yes we got some slobber mixed in with ours, our sweetie couldn't keep her hand off the chocolate! :)

*For gluten free option be sure and get gluten free graham crackers and gluten free oats!!!

"D" Day!

Well today is the Letter D! And we are dipping it up today! I'm not making a "D" dinner, since lets face it it's Friday and I want to serve leftovers...so there you go! For our snacks though it's going to be awesome!!!

Snack Line up for "D" day

dipped granola bars

dipped graham sandwiches

"Cheese" dip with crackers!!!

Cashew Thumb Print Cookies

If you want a healthy cookie without loosing the sweetness...here you go! I loved these! They are adapted from this recipe at ohsheglows! They were awesome and such a fun cookie for the kids to help with! I love the nuts in this recipe and the flavor they bring, combined with the fruit filling, you've got a winner in my book! This is our double "C" cookie for our Alphabet days, Cashew Cookies!

Another Bonus of these little babies, they are gluten free! How great is that! I'll admit I'm not awesome at gluten free breads and most sweets, but these don't taste any different than other cookies! I'd eat these even if I didn't enjoy eating healthy :)

Cashew Thumb Print Cookies

1 1/3 c raw cashews

1/4 C brown rice flour

2 T ground flax seed

1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp sea salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 c cashew butter (or almond butter)

1/4 c maple syrup (I actually used honey and agave mixed and it worked awesome!)

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/3 c coconut (optional)

1/2 c fresh berries

Place cashews in high powered blender and blend until they are ground into a flour consistency (you can leave it slightly chunky if you want more crunch) Whisk ground up cashews with all other dry ingredients. In a separate bowl combine wet ingredients. If the cashew butter isn't soft and drips, melt wet ingredients for 20 seconds in the microwave to make them soft! Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients.

 Roll dough into small balls and place them on a cookie sheet. Puree fresh berries or fruit in blender until it is a sauce.  With your thumb push down into ball so there is a little bowl in the cookie.

 Fill bowls with fruit sauce.  Place in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for about 10-12 minutes! Watch closely! Let them cool in the fridge for 15 minutes! Enjoy

*If you don't want to use fresh berries, by all means use already made jam! It tastes great no matter way! Or you could put some chocolate chips in the bowls and melt them during baking so you have a chocolate cookie!