Throwback Tune-cycle

We had these toys aka distractions for the car seats and with moving they've been lost before. This last move I purged a lot of their toys but kept these for music time :) hope you find things to make music with!

It doesn't have to be hard.

Though this picture might look intimidating and maybe not even appetizing if this sort of stuff doesn't float your boat but simplicity is the base. Being simple in our mind and choices, especially with food. A bowl of blueberries, strawberries, and walnuts would keep you going longer than you think; try it for 3 days and you'd be surprised at your energy!
Changing out small items for healthier ones (chocolate for raw cacao, Greek yogurt for sour cream, avocado for mayo are examples) can propel you into nutritional nirvana!! Makes you WANT to keep finding delicious foods that are nourishing & instant mood lifters :)
Pack snacks! This helps :) I'll be forcing myself to blog on snacks soon!

Banana w/ almond butter, chia seeds, decadent blend of coconut, cacao, flax, and chia, and honey. I sprinkle maca on mine but not the kids :)

Thai Tuesday

Thai quesadilla comes from my love of Mexican and coincides with my goal to clean out the pantry before we move! Sorry I did not take pictures! My toddler needed to be entertained so I could finally eat lunch 3 hours after starting it!

Thai Quesadilla:
Season chicken (while cooking) w/ green onion, cilantro, lime, & tumeric w/ some coconut milk too if you would like... Sauté some greens with curry & coconut milk.. Plop in some peanut butter & soy sauce to meld into a sauce-ish green topping for your chicken.
Cook/heat up corn torts in coconut oil seasoned w/ curry! Assemble Quesadilla w/ Monterey cheese, creamy greens, & chicken! Voila. Scarf!!!

Use tofu or veggies in place of chicken for vegetarian & replace w/ soy cheese for vegan!

Update on DIY detergent earth!

I wanted to say I made my own dryer sheet in Sept & it's still going strong!! I used a cloth diaper (a really thick burp cloth) & soaked it in an organic plant based liquid softener w/ lavender essential oil until completely saturated but not dripping. It took 4 days to dry 100%. It was supposed to last 40 dries but I'm not really sure where I'm at. All I know is between the vinegar in my laundry detergent & the dryer sheet, my clothes are not static-y nor do they smell like I make my own stuff. I am loving it all!!

Because the burp cloth is white & easily lost I wrote on it but it's so ugly I didn't want to share photos. It looks like tie dye done rancid. I suggest cutting out something & sewing it to the cloth to help it stand out!

Do not be afraid! It's not ginger!

Native to North America, sunchokes, also called Jerusalem artichokes (although not from Jerusalem and not artichokes), were first cultivated by the Native Americans who called them sun roots. Sunchokes are a tuber, an underground stem, of a bright yellow flower that is related to the sunflower.

Sunchokes look like small, knobby potatoes, but they have a very unique flavor—sweet and nutty, reminiscent of an artichoke heart. An interesting nutritional fact about sunchokes is that 75 to 80 percent of their carbohydrate content is in the form of inulin (not insulin!) rather than starch. This mean that the sugars break down into sucrose, not glucose, which might be of interest to those with concerns about sugar levels. Inulin is also a prebiotic, which can improve digestion and enhance immunity.

care2.com

Easiest Chicken Ever

Looking for a new bite into chicken? I have been searching high and low for some toddler/diabetic friendly meals with chicken and found this bad boy. Moroccan Chicken! SUPER YUM! If you are feeding more than 3-4 people I would double the recipe because leftovers are even better!! 

For your masterpiece: 

1 small onion sliced up as you wish

1 lb of chicken diced as you wish (or but into strips 

but chunks are easy on toddler fingers!)

1 15oz can of no salt tomatoes (or your choice of canned tomatoes)

1 can of drained and rinsed gorbanzo beans (chickpeas) 

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Slice onion and add to oiled pan (I like small and big chunks!)

When tender add these beautiful spices and mix in well! This smell is going to rock your world!! YUM!

Once mixed add can of tomatoes w/ it's juice, when bubbling add chicken and drained gorbanzo beans. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for 20 mins, stirring randomly. Serve over whole wheat couscous of some form of healthy whole grain! THIS IS AMAZING!  

See. Easier that Ever :) Dinner in under 30 mins!! 

Pumpkin Cornbread!

This is definitely not scary but still has the full effect of fall! Personally, I eat this year round but once this is in your recipe arsenal you can decide if you want it to be a fall favorite exclusive or a random treat!

What you'll need:

1 cup of pumpkin purée

1 cup of low fat milk

2 tbsp of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

1 tbsp of mild honey (clover honey)

2 eggs 

1 1/2 cups of stone ground yeller (said in southern accent) cornmeal

1/2 cup of all purpose flour

1 tbsp of baking powder

1/2 TEASPOON of baking soda

1/2 tsp of salt

optional: I add 4 tbsp of ground flax, some cinnamon, and nutmeg!

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees and place cast iron skillet in to heat up or a 2 qt baking dish. I made muffins for easy portion control but they tend to be browner and for those who like light cornbread I would suggest using the skillet or baking dish.
2. Whisk together the pumpkin purée, milk, evoo, honey, and eggs
3. Place cornmeal in a large bowl and sift in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt

4. Stir in dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix together being careful not to overwork!

5. Remove baking dish of choice from heat, or get muffin tins ready and spray with Pam or use evoo on cloth to lightly oil the area down.
6. Bake for 30-40 mins until a fork or toothpick comes out clean! Allow to cool before eating and don't be shy! Add some loving! I made some regular pumpkin cornbread and in another pan added sliced almonds and topped with cinnamon with a drizzle of honey!

Eat and Enjoy! 

Yes. It is that simple...today!

I am so disgustingly excited about how EASY & fast this dish is that I literally just ate & am ready to start making my next required snack! I'm blogging from my iPhone for the 1st time so bare w/ me as I try to figure out technology that I don't use to its full advantage. Since finding out I have Gestational Diabetes I've been on the prowl for low carb options & replacements in my meals. I know this isn't uncommon but w/ diabetes on both sides of my family I want to take this time to educate & really learn some awesome lifestyle habits.

Today's education came from my lettuce that came in last week's produce box. I usually make a veggie couscous & eat lettuce wraps but since I'm trying to lay off the large carb intake I decided to do a TBLT Lettuce Wrap! That's turkey bacon, lettuce, & tomato :) All you do is cut up the turkey bacon into whatever size chunks or crumbles you want and cook them. While they're getting ready dice up some fresh tomato & zucchini. When bacon is almost done toss in the veggies & sauté. The turkey bacon should season these up but feel free to add a pinch of salt or seasoning here. Then get your fresh lettuce leaves ready, stuff, & eat! Oh my gosh, yummy right!?!! 3 Veggies, 1 protein & it's something I am pretty sure everyone would enjoy for a quick snack or even a dinner side to talapia & asparagus! Mmm....,now my mind is racing w/ how delish this could be on a picnic or backyard adventure with the kids! Feel free to play with your food.. It's your food!!

Cream Spinach w/o Le Cremé!

Yes this is creamy and delish and everything I hoped it would be! I really wanted creamed spinach without all the hustle and fat of actual cream so instead I made a rue and seasonings and cheeses! This is so easy, it's easily a staple for dinners now. You can make this and top pizza with it, eat as a side, place in pasta dishes, it's boundaries are limitless as long as your taste buds are too!

10 ounces - 1 lb of fresh spinach, tough stems removed 1 tbsp butter 1 tdsp all-purpose flour 1/4 cup low-fat milk (you can add more if you wish for a runnier base) 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 2 tbsp grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese

2 tbsp of Feta ( I used Feta for umph and salt. Any kind would be good, so I used Tomato and Basil)

Directions: 

1. Heat butter in small - medium small sauce pan over medium-high heat
2. Add flour. Cook, stirring continuously until bubbly..about 30 seconds 
3. Add milk, nutmeg, pepper; while this cooks, whisk continuously for 1 - 3 mins until thickened
4. Add Spinach to sauce, cook down for 1 min 
5. Sprinkle in cheeses and stir to melt
6. Top w/ extra Parm or PR if desired

This was a RICH RICH version because of the Feta (my preggo taste buds always ask for the rich flava flavs!) So if you're not sure how you feel about the feta, leave it out and just do the regular cheese. Look for organic or low sodium cheeses in the specialty cheese sections of your deli. You pay for what you get, Gucci vs Mossimo! 

Hippie Granola Bars ( or just Granola)

I just like the word hippie. I could use terms such as healthy, wholesome, natural, but hippie is so much more fun. I  know I am FOREVER and a day late on posting ANYTHING so tonight while I have a few spare minutes ( the husband is playing COD ) I figured I'd fight off some sleep and write up a quick post! Now I LOVED these granola bars and so did Avery however I needed to add MORE peanut/almond butter to made them "stick" better into bars however with my recent diagnosis of gestation diabetes I am steering clear of these bad boys only because the honey and oats are carb loading freaks that I crave consistently. However, in moderation even I could eat these bad boys! (Nuts = protein!)

To the left you see the ingredients I used. I LOVE Trader Joe's but in general you can find healthy options at most grocery stores or online. I love TJs organic trail mixes! They come presized for servings and are a wonderful addition to muffins, tops of breads, oatmeal, and today.. Granola Bars! I also used a cranberry/pomegranate mix of dried berries, a golden berry blend of raisins, golden raisins, cherries, cranberries, and blueberries. YES dried fruit typically is loaded with sugars. That's why reading labels is THE most important step in shopping. Find chemical free and no sugar added brands. This helps with not only watching your natural sugar only intake *fruit is sweet enough alone* but also knowing why marketing is a multi-billion dollar industry that is out there to confuse and trick us into thinking that just because it's "this" or "that" it will be healthier for us. I call bluff and will show you my cards sir. Check up on what you're putting in you and your families bodies :)

Ok enough preaching.. I also used Raw Sunflower seeds and old fashion oats.

 My "stick" was the Almond butter ! 

Ingredient list (remember this is flexible, add and do what you and your family likes!):

• 1/4 cup of honey
• 1/2 cup or more of natural organic (or raw!) peanut butter/almond butter/almond butter w/ roasted flax seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon of organic vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups of traditional rolled oats 
• 1/4 cup of dried cranberries (or other fruit)
• 1/4 cup of whatever other dried fruit you desire 
• 4 tbsp of raw sunflower seeds
• 2 tbsp of slivered almonds (optional) (mine were in the trail mix I crushed up and added!)
• 3 tbsp of sesame seeds

How to eat and destroy .:: evil laugh ::. :

1. Measure Nut butter, vanilla extract, and honey in a microwave safe measuring cup or bowl
2. Microwave on high for 45 sec - 1 min, when melted stir 
3. Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl and stir melted mixture into dry ingredients.
4. Mix well then press into a non-greased 8X8 inch dish 
5. Bake at 350 for 10-20 mins until golden brown
6. Serve and DestroY! 

I took these to play school for two weeks for snack (plus a snacking at home, at the park, for breakfast with yogurt)! They last quiet awhile in a Tupperware dish on my counter top! If your 'bars' come out crumbly, don't get discouraged, next time just add more nut butter! Crumble this bad boy up and sprinkle on yogurt, make parfaits, top smoothies, slap some in a bag for a snack or treat for the kids! Easy peasy lemon squeezies! 

Grab ya granola

YO GRANOLA GRANOLA!