Week 3

Just a reminder this was written for my neighborhood Biggest Loser contest just in case you are confused! ;) I hope the info can be beneficial to all who read it and I hope many of you are trying the challenges!

Alright this week is probably going to be your hardest yet! Are you strong enough to try it? You only have to do it for 6 weeks and if you don't see the benefit for not only you but your entire family you are welcome to go back to your old habits! But if you are serious about this Biggest Loser stuff and you really want to see some long term results you will jump on and do what I did over 7 years ago! You will...............

TOSS IT!

So what is it you have to toss? Is it your scale? That actually wouldn't be a bad idea but since you are using it to compete right now you may want to hang on to it for a few more weeks! ;) Is it your FAT clothes? Again tossing those would be good too! I know the neighborhood is having a yard sale and would love to sell them back to you if you find your just not cut out to be the Biggest Loser! Maybe it's your video game console or heck your whole dang TV? Again any of these things would probably help you on your way to becoming the Biggest Loser but for right now the ONLY thing you need to toss is the.............

..... JUNK FOOD!!

Come on just do it! Go through your house and just get rid of it! ALL of it! I don't want to hear, "but the kids will have a fit without their soda, candy bars, and goldfishes!" I think Dad and Mom will miss it more then the kids! Quit using them as your scapegoat who are the parents anyway! You can just tell them that you need their help in winning this Biggest Loser contest I'm sure they will be happy to help especially if you offer them half your winnings. Common your not scared are you? It's only for 6 weeks! What are you afraid of? Admit it you are addicted to at least one, four, ten, or more different kinds of JUNK food! You tell yourself that you could go without it at any time. Well here is your chance to prove it to yourself. If you are addicted you WILL have withdrawals and cravings for a little while until it is out of your system. Six weeks is just about enough time to let your body know that you mean business and that you are serious about getting rid of those junk food cravings.

You will find for a little while you will really crave your comforting junk food. But if you have been drinking your water and green smoothies your body will be thanking you and won't find too much time to complain and I promise it won't complain for very long. If you find you are still very scared and not quite up to it you can go here and try making some healthier treats that will help you through your cravings. Also if you need that extra motivation and something that will help you to be informed instead of being easily swayed by marketing try this book or this one, heck do a search and see that the only one who benefits from you eating junk food are those selling it to you! Are you really going to let them win? Wouldn't you much rather be the one in control? I have also heard that this book is highly motivating!

To make it a bit more simple I will give you a list of a few ingredients that I want you to start looking for. Go through your cupboards and throw out ANYTHING that has these ingredients listed as one of the first five. Then be sure not to buy ANYTHING with these ingredients in them at all.

Here is the SHORT list! ;)

Refined White Sugar
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Fructose

Sucrose

Aspartame (Nutrasweet)

Sucralose (Splenda)

Saccharin (Sweet & Low)

Monosodium glutamate (MSG)

Artificial Colors (Red 40, yellow, lake blue, etc.)

Partially Hydrogenated (Oils of ANY kind also known as trans-fats)

Shortening

Margarine (one molecule away from being plastic you don't eat plastic do you?)

Now just for fun I thought I would post this little video!

I'm sure most of you have seen the corn syrup commercials. You can read my opinions about it here! Think about it do you really want good marketing to control what you eat. You wouldn't put the wrong kind of gas in your car! If you did it wouldn't run! So why do you keep expecting to put the wrong kind of food in your body and have it run properly? Give your body what it needs! They call it JUNK food for a reason! It's JUNK! It belongs in the garbage so go ahead, just

TOSS IT!

Week 2

At LEAST a few times this week try having a.......

GREEN SMOOTHIE!

They are a very easy way to get a lot of servings of those fresh fruits and greens that you know you need but just can't seem find the time or the taste buds to munch them all down. This week try a few different kinds of green smoothies out! Have one at least 3 times this week and then see if you can't manage to have them at least 4 or 5 times a week for the rest of the contest! Don't worry about changing ANYTHING else this week, just notice the difference in how you feel! When I first started drinking lots of green smoothies my baby was not sleeping well at all but I found that because of the smoothies I was not tired like I should have been. I had more energy, didn't need to take expensive supplements, I gently cleansed (so expect a little of that) and I LOST weight! Just to name a few things! If you have a phobia to green foods you can start with less greens and more fruit and then as you see that there is nothing to be afraid of ;) you can add more greens.

Our nation is one of the most overfed yet undernourished countries in the world! Green Smoothies are a very simple way to add lots and lots of nourishment with very little effort! Trust me your body with thank you!!! Many of us are literally starving for nutrition and we don't even know it. We will get lots of cravings because our bodies are trying to find a way to fulfill it's nourishment NEEDS! We will gain weight and then we try to diet only to add more to the starvation. Once I found ways to truly nourish my body I found my cravings started to go away! Anymore I don't even crave junk food in fact most times I find it pretty tasteless and unappealing!

So come on give it a try! Just play with it and don't give up if you really hate the first one I promise they grow on you. Plus you can make it according to your tastes. If you really hate raspberries you don't have to put them in. Start with Spinach for the greens (since it is very mild and you won't taste it) and then you can add others for more nutrition as you start to see that the taste of green gets covered by the fruit! I have a basic recipe here on my blog. And if you think there is no way they can taste good be sure to give my Creamsicle Green Smoothie a try and I just posted a Chocolate Peanut Butter one so be sure to give it a try!

So there you have it your body will be more nourished than it has ever been! It's a great way to start the day and Matt it can EASILY and very HEALTHFULLY become a meal replacement drink unlike Slim Fast which is mostly sugar and synthetic nutrients. That will leave you wanting and will slow your metabolism WAY down because you are essentially STARVING yourself! Which will then cause you to put on weight even more easily! So forget the Slim Fast and go get you a

GREEN SMOOTHIE!

Week 1

Alright sorry I'm a little slow at getting this posted but no worries it's so simple I'm sure most of you are already doing it! ;) Before I tell you the first step I want to mention a little bit about exercise. Exercise is very important but like most things it has been WAY overdone. People tend to go from one extreme to the other. Now if you are a very active person and love to exercise and have been doing it for years hooray for you, keep it up! I have found that most people like how they feel when they exercise but never stay consistent with it. I think part of the problem is that they go from hardly any or no exercise to trying to do big workouts at least an hour a day. I don't blame them for not sticking with it! That's just a killer and I'm sure your body will yell at you!

Okay my point; If you already have a exercise routine that works for you stick with it. If you find you don't exercise much try to do some form of MODERATE exercise (the P90Xers are now breathing a sigh of relief;) for 20 minutes 5 days a week or 30 minutes 3 times a week. Go for a little walk, get a mini-tramp and jump on it, do some Yoga or Pilate's, play a sport, ride a bike just something you enjoy and will do consistently. As with all things be sure to use common sense! If you do something dumb and hurt yourself don't blame me. If you think it would be wise to consult your Doctor be sure to do so.

Now if you have health problems that keep you from exercising DON'T WORRY implementing the 8 weekly steps will help! You will find you not only look and feel better but you just may find you are able to get up and move! Just listen and be nice to your body it's the only one you've got!

Now for the first step! Starting with week 1 and continuing through the 8 weeks and hopefully longer. All you need to do is......

DRINK WATER

Yep that's it! You do not need to worry about doing ANYTHING else this week just drink water! You can still drink your soda and juice and whatever else you normally drink but this does NOT count toward your water intake! You should be drinking 1 ounce of water daily for every 2 pounds of your body weight. So a 150 pound person would need to drink 75 ounces of water a day. There are 8 ounces in a cup so this person would need to drink about 9 1/2 cups of water a day. How much are you drinking?

Most people do not drink enough water! It is so important! I cannot stress it enough! I know we have all heard that we could go for weeks without food but you can only live for a few days without water! I won't go into any more detail here but if you would like to learn more about the importance of water may I suggest this book.

One more thing: I suggest you get some type of a filter like those ones that go in the pitchers or hook up to your kitchen faucet. Chlorine is nice for cleaning the water but our bodies really don't want it so it's best to filter it out. I won't go into the Fluoridation thing either but I also think it's best not to drink it either. We actually have a R.O. unit which I highly recommend they are at least 150 bucks but worth every penny! If neither of those are an option you could also just add a little lemon or lime to the water it will help clean it a little and it's also quite cleansing and very good for you and most people really like the the taste! Now there you have it...........

DRINK WATER!

You can do it!

I have a few posts here that I have decided to post! But first let me share a little background. Not long ago my neighborhood did a Biggest Loser contest! They asked me to be their nutrition consultant and to post some tips and ideas on their blog that could help them. There were some sneaky people delivering cookies to their opponents trying to sabotage there efforts! It was lots of fun but by the end of the eight weeks the group of them together had lost over 100 pounds! They also said that they had learned some things that many hoped to continue to implement and to choose to have a healthier lifestyle for not only them but their family too! This was my beginning post I hope that you can maybe benefit from them too!

In Health, Tammie

To start off you are going to have to decided what you want to get out of this! Aside from building friendships, getting to know each other better and strengthening bonds, we get that either way!

My question for you is; Do you want to see long term results and renewed health that will last long after the 8 weeks are over with healthy habits that you can pass on for generations.......OR are you just wanting a quick fix, to be the Biggest Loser then go back to doing what got you here in the first place to gain it all back twice as fast and nearly twice as much and be less healthy then when you started?

My friends the choice is up to you! I have been on both sides of that fence and I will happily help you with either! I have crash dieted and taken off 10 pounds in a week and then found out the hard way why that is not a long term solution! (which I will be more then happy to share if you ask) I also know what it's like to finally decide that It doesn't matter what the scale says or what size my pants are, the important thing was to try to be as healthy as possible so I could pass those habits on to my children. (Quite frankly it's the kids I worry about how the heck are they going to have any chance of being a healthy adult if they grow up in this fast food nation and are not taught! It's a great motivator look around, kids these days now have diseases that only "OLD" people got when I was a kid!) I have seen the results of that decision...................here I will let you see since most of you didn't know me "before!"

(Those of you who care to read more about my personal story can do so here.)

I am hoping some of you will choose to get long term results! I am obviously bias toward that one! For those of you who do I promise you will wonder why you didn't do this sooner. I will post ONE, yep just ONE thing a week for you to implement. (First Step to be posted soon!) Each week will build on the other and you will want to continue each one throughout the 8 weeks! After that you will have some great tools to work with in deciding if you want to adopt and continue this new healthy lifestyle while molding it, of course to fit your personality! Not to mention you WILL be the Biggest Loser!!!!

But no matter what you choose I want to help and support you! Please ask lots of questions! I will answer the best I can! I have tried almost every diet out there (well at least ones that would be "legal" for this and yes Matt I have tried Slim Fast and NO Matt it's NOT healthy!) And I am willing to help you find what works for you! So let's get started!

YOU CAN DO IT!!!!

Parmesan Cheese Spread/Dip

I have made this recipe a few times now! We love it! My kids like to dip snap peas and carrots in it! I would love to give you the recipe but it isn't mine. It was already Simple, Healthy, and Tasty so I couldn't even modify it to make it mine! ;)

But you can purchase it here!

A Little Inspiration!

Alright I know this has nothing to do with Simple, Healthy, Tasty food! But oh to me listening to it can be very healing I love good music played well! A number of people have posted this on their blogs and I have watched it a few times it's just so inspiring I had to share! Just watch them they obviously love what they are doing! So enjoy, have a GREAT weekend be inspired and be inspiring! Do what you love and love what you do and in ALL things be HEALTHY!




Just a Thought:

"Your purpose in life is to find your purpose in life and give your whole heart and soul to it." ~Buddha~

Sweet Potato Smoothie

Another day, another smoothie.
This one comes straight from our Mom's kitchen.
This smoothie has a unique and yummy taste,
chalk full of beta-carotene.
Now even though sweet potatoes aren't
much on looks...they are so good for you.
You're gonna love this smoothie...
and it's gonna love you.

Sweet Potato Smoothie

1 Medium Baked and Skinned Sweet Potato
2 cups Almond or Rice Milk
1 cup Coconut Cream
2 Tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup
1 heaping Tablespoon Natural Creamy Peanut Butter
1/2 t. Cinnamon
dash of sea salt
pinch of nutmeg and ginger
1 large cup ice

Put all ingredients in blender except ice.
Blend until smooth...
Add ice until desired consistency.

~This just might be the coolest way to eat
your taters!

French Toast Stix

Alright, Alright...I wasn't going to post this
one yet, because the picture is hideous.
Yet, Tammie said she needed it pronto...
so here it is.
But please try not to judge
this recipe by it's looks?!

These are incredibly tasty little morsels.

French Toast Stix

1/2 cup almond or rice milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot powder
3 teaspoons sucanat
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 slices of bread
pure maple syrup or dip of your choice

Directions:

Cut slices of bread into 4 equal sticks.

Mix first 8 ingredients in bowl.

Dip sticks individually into mixture.

Over medium/low heat, on a well greased pan,
lay sticks flat down. After 2 to 4 minutes turn sticks,
they should be a light brown.
Sticks should turn easily when done.
Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes before removing.

Cover with toppings.

Wah-La...

Enjoy 'em!

Orange Julius

This is one super simple way to keep
cool during the hot summer months.
It's mighty healthy...
and, by George, it's tasty!

Orange Julius

1 and 1/2 cups Almond or Rice Milk
1/2 cup water
3 oz frozen orange juice concentrate
[large heaping spoonful]
2 tsp Agave Nectar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Large cup of ice cubes

Blend first 5 ingredients together.
Then add ice until desired consistency.

Delightful!

Restaurant Style Black Beans

We love beans at our house because they are affordable, filling, healthy, and oh so good! The recipe below is our favorite way of making black beans. Be sure to note that they need to soak overnight so you DO need to think ahead! I will often cook up a batch in the crock pot at that point I can either season them restaurant style like the recipe below or I drain them and put them in Tupperware or baggies and freeze for later use. They are also really good mashed up like refried beans. For that I season leave the liquid on and mash with a potato masher.

Restaurant Style Black Beans

7 cups black beans (I have a 5 quart crock pot if yours is smaller you will need to use less beans and adjust seasoning accordingly)
Soak Water
Cooking Water
1-2 heaping teaspoons vegetable bullion (I like Rapunzel)
3 teaspoons sea salt
1 Tablespoon Minced Onion
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
3 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon oregano or Italian seasoning (I know beans are more Mexican but trust me this is the secret ingredient)

Place beans in crock pot and cover with water by about 3-5 inches. Let soak OVERNIGHT. Do NOT turn crock pot on! In the morning drain and rinse beans place back in the crock pot and cover with water by about ONE inch. Turn crock pot on high. Let cook all day you may want to stir a few time once they start cooking good depending on your crock pot you may find medium is a better setting I usually use high because I don't seem to get my cooking until at least 10 am! If you need to add a little more water that is fine but remember with this recipe we won't be draining them so you don't want too much water. After they are done and about an hour before serving stir in the other ingredients.

We love this recipe on a Cafe Rio type taco salad. We take a whole wheat tortilla put it in a bowl and add my Lime Rice recipe, these Restaurant Style Black Beans, Cheezy Sauce, I saute some onion and mushrooms in a little coconut oil and Sucanat to make sweet onions, corn, tomatoes, salsa, mango salsa, (recipe soon to come!) lots of greens, my Ranch Dressing, Guacamole, and some lime and cilantro!

MMMMMMmmMMMMMmmMMMMM

The Word of Wisdom

I have wanted for some time to write about this! But I have so far chose not to because well....ummm it's not because I'm ashamed of what I believe. I am proud to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and I don't plan to make any apologies for that.

I guess what is hard is that many within my own faith seem to vary quite a bit on how they feel about and interpret The Word of Wisdom. Personal Revelation is a big thing to me and I would never want to belittle that fact. I have not wanted to seem preachy in any way so I have pretty much just avoided the subject all together. But quite truthfully it has been the backbone of my research with health. My whole story would not be complete without it! (I eventually hope to share it all with you) Every time I have read something related to health and diet I have compared it to what I know in the Word of Wisdom.

Anyway the main reason I am excited about sharing this with you now is because of this post from The Lazy Organizer! I have enjoyed reading her blog for a few years now and I love the way she writes! If you want to learn and be inspired by a lot more then just organizing check out her blog!

Today she posted her thoughts about the Word of Wisdom and I thought she did it in a really good informative way! Since I'm not near as good at putting things into words! (I just come across as too absolute and preachy for some reason!) I'll try to work on that but in the mean time go read what she has to say and just know that I give her a great big AMEN! ;) After you read it I would love to know your thoughts about it!

Swine Flu

I hesitate to post this because I don't care for all the hype the media puts on things like this. But I thought some of you might be interested so I'm going to share a few of my thoughts maybe quote a couple of "experts" then give you some recipes!

I personally do not like the way the media tends to sensationalize pretty much EVERYTHING! And I REALLY don't like the way Big Pharma always seems to benefit! Did you know the risk here is really low? About 30,000 people die every year of the regular old flu or complications with it. (And yes many of them RECEIVED the flu shot! Something I am NOT a fan of!) So far I think the amount of confirmed cases world wide for Swine Flu are ummmm SEVEN! I'm not trying to devalue life and say it isn't important it of course is! I am just asking you to look at some stats and use a little common sense. Here is what Dr. Mercola has to say.

"Please remember that, despite the fantastic headlines and projections of MILLIONS of deaths, the H5N1 bird flu virus killed a mere 257 people worldwide since late 2003. As unfortunate as those deaths are, 257 deaths worldwide from any disease, over the course of five years, simply does not constitute an emergency worthy of much attention, let alone fear!


Honestly, your risk of being killed by a lightning strike in the last five years was about 2,300 percent higher than your risk of contracting and dying from the bird flu. I'm not kidding! In just one year (2004), more than 1,170 people died from lighting strikes, worldwide.

So please, as the numbers of confirmed swine flu cases are released, keep a level head and don't let fear run away with your brains."

If you want to read more of what he has to say you can do that here!

I really think your BEST defense is a strong healthy body with a very strong immune system! How do you make your immune system strong? Well first off you eat healthy and drink lots of good water you get plenty of rest and just basically live the laws of health! Then you DON'T do things that would actually thwart or lower your immune function like taking stimulants and drugs, flu shots, pretty much anything that will block immune function. REFINED SUGAR is a big one. I love to use herbs because they are food and they actually assist the Immune system and help make it stronger instead of weakening it. I believe we should work with our bodies NOT against them!

Here is a quote from Paul Nison!

People's immune systems are declining throughout the world, causing ill health and new outbreaks of viruses like the Swine flu. It is a real concern, but the larger issue should be addressed. We are not as healthy as we could be. Our immune systems are weak and getting weaker. Fear does not help the issue. Someone emailed me the other day and asked what I suggest to help protect against the Swine Flu.

Here they are:

1. Eat healthy

2. Exercise

3. Get enough rest
4. Take four thieves essential oils

5. Don't go to Mexico right now

That sounds simple enough doesn't it? Paul Nison recommends Four Thieves I have the recipe below for both the essential oil and the vinegar! I'm sure both would be excellent to not only help heal the flu if you get it but to actually help keep you and your family from getting it in the first place. I just placed an order with Mountain Rose Herbs (moving picture you can click on and get to on my side bar) for ALL the ingredients to make BOTH!

Also I always have Anti-Plague on hand which is a wonderful formula that I have used a lot and seen it cure all sorts stuff. (I don't know if I have told you this but we have not needed a Doctor in over 9 years!) If you would like to hear what David Christopher has to say about all this go here! Very interesting stuff worth listening too! Also if you want to know how to make Anti-Plague I have a good friend who is a pro at making it and posted how on her blog you can check that out here!

FOUR THIEVES VINEGAR

1 part lavender, dried

1 part sage, dried

1 part thyme, dried

1 part lemon balm (melissa), dried

1 part hyssop, dried

1 part peppermint, dried

1 handful garlic cloves

Raw (unpasteurized), organic apple cider vinegar

• In a glass jar, place all dry ingredients.

• Add raw (unpasteurized), organic apple cider vinegar to cover

• Place jar in a cool place and let sit, at room temperature, for six weeks.

• Strain off herbs and garlic, and decant to a glass bottle or jar with a tight fitting lid.

HOW TO USE FOUR THIEVES VINEGAR

• Take a teaspoonful several times daily.

• Add to salads either directly or in a salad dressing.

• For personal protection, add a teaspoonful to bath water.

• Use as a topical spray for disinfecting surfaces and/or skin

FOUR THIEVES OIL

1 part eucalyptus

1 part rosemary

1 part cinnamon

1 part clove

1 part lemon

Carrier oil (olive, jojoba, coconut, or your choice)

Mix
I put 50 drops of each oil in a 2 oz. bottle and then top it off with the carrier oil.

OR

An alternative recipe:

200 drops Clove Bud Oil

175 drops Lemon Oil

100 drops Cinnamon Oil

75 drops Eucalyptus Oil

50 drops Rosemary

Mix with carrier oil.

APPLICATIONS:

• Apply 1-2 drops of Four Thieves on the bottoms of the feet and on the nape of the neck.

• Apply under the arms and on the chest.

• Diffuse for 20 minutes or less at work or at home.

I really hope that this post was informative and helpful! I DO NOT like making decisions based on fear and I hope I helped alleviate some of yours! It's really all about looking at the source of your information and seeing if they have anything to loose or gain. Then you see if the benefits outweigh the risks and then..... well I always pray about it and do what feels right and what works for me and my family!

Coconut Oil

Hey I thought some of you might appreciate me letting you know that Mountain Rose Herbs is selling their coconut oil cheaper then I have see it for a while. Honestly I'm surprised to see prices go down on ANYTHING lately so when I noticed this I quickly ordered me some! Even before they lowered their price this has been the most affordable place I know of to get coconut oil. I bought a 5 gallon bucket of it a while back hoping that it would be as good as quality as the other brands I had been buying.

IT IS GREAT! I love it!
I have also tried some of their essential oils and herbs and so far have been very impressed. I have not yet compared prices or quality of their other oils but I'm guessing they will be good too. I will let you know when I do. For now if you use or want to start using coconut oil this is the best quality and price I have ever found!

1 Gallon of Virgin Unrefined Coconut oil is $37 plus shipping (which I'm sure varies but is about 10$ for me)

5 Gallon bucket is $149 plus about $25 shipping

It comes right to your door and every time I order it seems like it only takes a few days.

They also have refined coconut oil for less! It also appears that most everything they sell is organic too which I also really like!

The hardest part is finding it on their site but I'm going to help you with that right now.

What you will want to do is click on the moving picture link on my sidebar that says "think fresh" Mountain Rose Herbs and some other stuff. That will take you to the site. From there you want to go down to the banner that says BULK INGREDIENTS and click on those actual words.

Again you want to go to the square titled BULK INGREDIENTS but this time click on the words Carrier Oils. There will then be a A-Z list you want to click under the A-C on the words click here for....

Then you will get a list of their bulk oils from A-C scroll down you will see both kinds of coconut oil. I get the Virgin Unrefined it is second to the last on the page.

You click on the blue arrow and you can choose if you want 1 or 5 gallons you can also change the quantity if you want more then one and then you add it to your cart then I'm pretty sure you can figure out the rest! GOOD LUCK! Let me know if you need help. ;)

If you want to learn more about the benefits of coconut oil you can go here! Some of the things I have used it for or have heard it being used for are:

• moisturizer (I love how soft it makes my skin)
• acne
• oil treatment in hair (I love how soft it makes my hair;)
• rashes and/or eczema
• frying (the only oil I know of that is still good for you after it has been heated)
• grilling vegetables
• baking (I use constantly in place of butter, shortening, or margarine in recipes)
• a carrier oil
• etc. etc. etc.

What do you use coconut oil for?

Peanut Butter Chocolate Green Smoothie

This is a green smoothie everyone should love ESPECIALLY the kids! It's sweet, creamy and peanut buttery! I know, I know the green is a little bit weird but you could just add a little mint to it then nobody will be bothered by the green!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Green Smoothie

2 cups Rice or Almond milk

(I bet just blending some soaked almonds with water would work good I will try it and let you know)

2 LARGE handfuls of spinach

2 Heaping Tablespoons all natural peanut butter (Costco has a good organic kind and Adam's brand is always good)

2 Tablespoon honey

2 or 3 bananas frozen

Ice enough for a good consistency I usually do a glass full

1 small handful of carob chips

Place all ingredients except carob chips in the blender and blend until smooth. Then add the carob chips and pulse until blended in but with some chips. ENJOY!

Lettuce Wraps

If you like P.F. Chang's...you're gonna love these.
And you don't even have to leave a tip.

Lettuce Wraps

veggies:
2 thick broccoli stalks or about 7 florets
1/4 head of green cabbage
2 medium carrots
2 green onions
2 roma tomatoes
2 cups crushed raw pistachios
1 cup crushed raw cashews
1/2 red bell pepper
2 big stalks celery

Sauce:
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 cup sucanat
2 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
2 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons fresh cracked pepper
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons coriander
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 tablespoon shoyu or liquid aminos
1 tablespoon organic corn starch/
arrowroot powder

Directions:
Chop all the veggies very small. [If
you have a food processor...that might help.]
Put veggies in a very large (huge-ish) frying
pan.

In a separate bowl stir together all
of the sauce ingredients.
Pour sauce over veggies and mix well.
Warm it on the stove top until
thoroughly warmed...not cooked.

Wash and separate a head
of romaine and use it like
a tortilla with the veggies inside.

A little messy but, oh so tasty.

{the veggie filling keeps well in the
refrigerator and tastes even better
the next day...believe it, or not.}

Split Pea Soup

My Sister gave me this recipe a while back it's pretty tasty and I decided I like it best cooked in a crock pot. It is so simple that way!

Split Pea Soup

2 cups dried green split peas
1/2 cup Barley (can use brown rice)
1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
7 1/2 cups water
3 chopped carrots
3 stalks chopped celery
3 diced potatoes
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon coconut or olive oil
1 bay leaf
3 cloves minced Garlic

Put everything into the crock pot at let cook for 6-8 hours.

Yummy Potatoes (AKA Funeral Potatoes)

Alright I hope you are all excited as I am to have a Healthy Yummy Potatoes recipe! Now like most healthy things don't expect it to taste EXACTALLY like it's unhealthy counterpart! But you can expect it to be very Tasty and just as comforting! My whole family LOVES it! I hope you enjoy it too!

Usually I just make hashbrown from potatoes using my salad shooter. But for Yummy Potatoes the frozen ones are so much more Simple and work better! This is the kind I buy!

Why? Because all that's in it is Potatoes! I like that! What does the lable on your frozen hash browns say?

Also I really like this Rapunzel brand Vegetable Broth. It is a powder it doesn't have MSG and artificial ingredients. It stores easily and if I need vegetable broth it super simple!


Yummy Potatoes

3/4 of the package (shown above) of frozen hash browns
1 recipe Cream of Something Soup
1 recipe Sunflower Seed Sour Cream (3 parts of recipe 1 part Vegenaise with a little more lemon juice if you want it even more sour creamy like)
1-2 cups Cheezy Sauce (depending on how "cheezy" you want it)
3 Tablespoons coconut oil
2-3 slices of whole wheat bread


Place the frozen hash browns into a 9x13 pan or larger (you may want to put these out a little ahead of time to thaw a bit it will decrease how long they will need to cook). In a medium sized saucepan make the Cream of Something Soup. In a meduim sized bowl combine the Sunflower Seed Sour Cream, Cheezy Sauce, and the completed Cream of Something Soup. It's great to have it still be warm because it will melt the other sauces and since I usually have some of these made up in my fridge they are cold and need to be melted so they mix together well. Take the mixture in the bowl and pour over the hash browns. Mix well to coat. In a small pan melt the coconut oil crumble the bread into the melted coconut oil and stir until the bread soaks up the oil. Sprinkle the bread crumbs on top of the potatoes. Bake at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes until warmed all the way through and the bread is browned on the top.

Cream of Something Soup

(I call this cream of something because I use it in place of things that call for cream of mushroom or chicken etc.)

2 1/2 cups rice milk
1 Tablespoon vegetable bullion
3 rounded Tablespoons whole wheat flour
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 Tablespoons liquid aminos

In a sauce pan put 2 cups of the rice milk mix with the bullion bring to a boil at medium heat. In a cup or small bowl whisk together 1/2 cup rice milk with the flour. When the first mixture is boiling; slowly add the flour mixture while stirring. Turn off heat mix in rest of ingredients.

Comforting Dinner and a Sneak Peak!

Hey there I hope you are all as excited as I am about my sister Emily posting some of her Simple, Healthy, Tasty recipes here! I promise you will not be disappointed and she should liven things up here a bit too! ;) I just wanted to share a few things. We are having a bit of a cold spell here and below you will see a very tasty, warm and comforting meal I made the other night. Maybe you can try it too! Then I just thought I would give you a sneak peak at what I have been working on!

Cauliflower Curry Soup with Salad and Bread Sticks!

MMmmmMMMmm! Here it's almost dinner time you may need these links!

Cauliflower Curry Soup

I garnished it with chives and roasted slivered almonds! Oh so tasty!

Whole Wheat Bread Sticks

These and very Simple and very Tasty! Make sure your water is warmed between 110-120 degrees but NOT more then that! And this time I used agave instead of honey and dipped them in melted coconut oil mixed with a drop of butter flavor and sprinkled the tops of them with onion powder, granulated garlic, and a little sea salt!

Just Like Mom's Homemade Ranch Dressing

The salad was mostly just some dark leafy greens!

Now here's just a little peak at what I have been working on!

Can you guess what it is? And could it possible be good for you and your family?!?!


Would you believe me if I told you it was dairy free and very creamy and Ummmm more than Tasty it's down right YUMMY! ;) (Yeah that's a hint any guesses? I should have the recipe perfected to post by next week! I bet you can't wait!)

Super Easy 'Cream' of Tomato Soup.

Howdy Folks,
This is Emily [Tammie's little sis]
and I am going to be a {semi-frequent}
guest host
on Simple, Healthy, Tasty.
Thanks Tam!

Tomato Soup is one
of our family favorites,
and this one is super simple
and totally tasty.

Here goes...

Super Easy 'Cream' of Tomato Soup

4 Tablespoons finely diced onion
1 Tablespoon Liquid Aminos or Shoyu (natural soy sauce)
1 15oz can tomato sauce
2 cups almond (or rice) milk
1 Tablespoon arrowroot powder or organic cornstarch

Saute onion in soy sauce until onion is tender.
Add 1.5 cups of almond milk and tomato sauce
to onions, bring to a boil. Mix cornstarch
with remaining 1/2 cup of almond milk.
Add cornstarch/almond milk mixture to soup,
stirring constantly until thickened.
Season to taste with your favorite seasonings
We use onion and garlic powder.

Whole Wheat Tortilla Crisps

1 package whole wheat flour tortillas
olive oil
garlic powder
onion powder
parsley
sea salt

Using pizza cutter, slice tortillas into triangle shapes
lightly brush on olive oil
sprinkle spices on top
bake on high broil until lightly browned
(this will not take long)

Dip tortilla crisps into soup
and ENJOY!!

Gardening

Although we may still get snow or at least frost here the next couple of months. The weather had been so nice this week that I have been planning my garden. I found a website that is making it much easier. It's called the Kitchen Garden Designer and I think it's pretty cool! You can try it out too; just click on the picture to go to the site!

Whole Wheat Apple Cinnamon Muffins

I have been wanting to add some Healthy, Tasty, muffins to my recipe favorites. These would make great grab and go breakfasts or snacks! My kids loved them! I can't decide which was better the smell of them cooking or the taste of them! They are super moist and oh so comforting!

Whole Wheat Apple Cinnamon Muffins

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 cup coconut oil melted (or 1/4 cup applesauce and 1/4 cup coconut oil)

3/4-1 cup Sucanat (depending on how sweet you like it)

Substitute for 1 egg flax or egg replacer both work good

1 cup rice or almond milk mixed with 1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar

2 large apples, peeled (optional), cored, and coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, and set aside. In a separate bowl, cream the oil and Sucanat. Beat until fluffy. Add the egg substitute and mix well. Mix in the rice milk mixture gently. Stir in the dry ingredients and fold in the apple chunks. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle the unbaked muffins with some Sucanat and cinnamon or homemade granola. Bake for 10 minutes, turn the heat down to 400°F, and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool the muffins for 5 minutes in the pan, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Maple Walnut Cookies

These are so good any cookie lover will really enjoy them even if they don't like walnuts! (They are ground and so you don't know they are in them.) They taste too good to be healthy but because of the flax and walnuts they are full of the good omega fatty acids that help with so many things and we can't seem to get enough of! Just be sure not to tell your family how good they are for them! ;) ENJOY!

Maple Walnut Cookies

2 1/2 cups walnuts ground in food processor or blender (measure then grind)

2/3 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 t. sea salt

1/3 cup golden flax seed meal (ground flax seeds)

2/3 cup pure maple syrup

2 t. vanilla

1 t. maple flavoring

1/3 cup carob chips

In order, mix together ingredients well. Grease cookie sheet & preheat oven to 350. Drop dough on cookie sheet with spoon & flatten with fork. Bake for 18 minutes. Or until lightly browned. Let cool for just a minute then remove from the cookie sheet before totally cooled.

Rice Crispy Treats

Sorry it's taking me so long to get these posted! So many things to post so little time! ;) Keep checking in and don't give up on me. There is so much I want to post I just need to make the time to do it! Not just great recipes but lots of good info too! Like what we do for coughs and colds, what we eat in a day and tricks I use that keeps my average daily kitchen time under an hour. Things like that! You may have to be patient with me though I do have a life outside of this blog! ;) But I do so enjoy my time spent with YOU!

Better Than Rice Crispy Treats

1 cup peanut butter (creamy or chunky and all natural of course)
5 cups brown rice crispy cereal (found at health food store)
½ cup ground golden flax seed
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 -1 cup Sucanat or turbinado (raw)sugar
1 cup honey

Bring peanut butter, Sucanat, and honey to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. As soon as it's bubbling, remove from heat, add vanilla, rice crispy cereal and ground flax seed. Press into a cookie sheet size pan and cut into bars, eat when cooled.

P.S. From my Sis, I don't usually do this but my Mom and Sister do and it is very tasty!!! My Sister mentioned it in the comments so I thought I would just put it here! Thanks Sis!

"I know you know this...but it is also very yummy to melt together 1 cup of carob chips and 1/2 cup of peanut butter and 'frost' the top of the rice crispy treats before you cut them. Put them in the fridge so they set up quicker and then....wah lah! Scotcheroos! :)"

Flax Seeds

Lately I have felt like we needed to add a bit more flax to our diet and of course I think raw and soaked is best! So I made GreenSmoothieGirl's flax crackers this week and we have been enjoying them! They are pretty tasty plain or you can dip them in Salsa or Cheezy Sauce or slice veggies and have on them. Avocado and/or slices of tomato would be very good! Also they are very good crumbled up on a salad!

Some other good ways to add more flax to your diet would be to throw some seed and/or flax seed oil in with your smoothies. I like to grind some up and add it to my granola AFTER it's baked it's not soaked that way but it is still raw! I also make some really good Maple Walnut Cookies (A recipe that came from my sister and that I just realized is NOT on here! I will fix that soon!) that uses lots of ground flax and are so tasty! Also my Rice Crispy Treats use ground flax! (Oh my heck I thought that recipe was on here too! And I thought I was running out of really Simple, Healthy, Tasty recipes to post! I better be taking some time to do some serious blogging!) What tasty ways have you found to add more flax into your diet?

Creamsicle Green Smoothie

I have yet to meet someone who doesn't like this green smoothie! It doesn't taste green at all! It tastes much like a Creamsicle! Give it a try your kids will love it! And if they ask why it is green just tell them it's a Shrek or Swamp Smoothie or something! ;)

Creamsicle Green Smoothie

1 cup water

1 cup Rice or Almond milk

2-3 LARGE spoonfuls of Orange juice concentrate

1 Large bunch of Spinach

1 teaspoon vanilla

Frozen Peaches (about 2 cups)

Place all ingredients in blender. Blend until nice and smooth!

Green Smoothies for Kids!

I thought some of you may appreciate this! Also I have come up with a great green smoothie recipe I plan to post soon that I think all kids young and old will love! I call it Creamsicle Green Smoothie! Oh I bet you can't wait, can you!?!?!?!?

Classic Oatmeal Cookies

I have been trying for a while now to find a really good old fashioned Oatmeal Cookie recipe that I could "healthify." Every time I try they have ended up a bad consistency. (usually ran all over the pan and didn't even resemble cookies;) Well for Cub Scouts my son needed to cook for one of his requirements. His Scout book (of all places) had a regular old Oatmeal cookie recipe. I thought it shouldn't be to hard to healthify so my son and I put our heads together and we came up with these! They turned out great I have always like good ol' Oatmeal Cookies and I am so excited these turned out!

Classic Oatmeal Cookies

3/4 cup coconut oil melted

1 1/2 cup Sucanat

egg replacer for 1 egg

1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups uncooked regular oatmeal

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

dash of cinnamon and/or nutmeg (optional)

Beat together the oil, Sucanat, egg replacer, water and vanilla until creamy. Combine the remaining ingredients, add to the first mixture, and mix well. Drop onto greased cookie sheet like any cookie. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Be sure not to over bake or they will be crispy I like my cookies chewy. You may find you want to even bake them for less time! For variety, add chopped nuts, raisins, carob chips, or coconut.

Cauliflower Curry Soup

My husband says this is quickly becoming his new favorite soup! He would prefer it if I doubled the amount of cayenne but the kids eat it better if it is less spicy! But if you like it with more of a kick feel free! If you want it a bit thicker you could add another potato or decrease the amount of water. I really love it garnished with a few toasted slivered almonds and a dash of nutmeg! MMMmmMMMMmmMMmmmm! So Tasty on a cold winter night!

Cauliflower Curry Soup

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 head cauliflower, cut in florets
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks
6 cups water

1 1/2 Heaping Tablespoons vegetable bullion
1 teaspoon sea salt

Garnish options

parsley and/or chives
roasted sliced or slivered almonds

a dash of nutmeg


Heat oils in soup pot. Stir in onion and cook over medium heat until onion softens a bit. Stir in curry and cayenne, mix well and cook for a minute. Stir in cauliflower and potato, toss to coat with curry mixture and saute for two minutes, stirring. Add water, bullion and salt. Bring to a boil. After it starts boiling, lower heat and simmer until cauliflower is soft, about 20 - 30 minutes. Let cool slightly. Using a slotted spoon (I like using my slotted spaghetti spoon) scoop out the veggies and puree them in the blender. If you like some chunks don't spoon all the veggies in. After vegetable have been pureed return the to the liquid in the pot, combining with a whisk. If it has cooled to much you may reheat at this point but usually mine is still plenty warm.

Special tip for those who......Well you know who you are! ;)

The picture above shows me using my slotted spaghetti spoon to put the vegetables into the blender with VERY LITTLE if any liquid. If you have a smaller blender it may take doing it twice. But I think if you just be sure your veggies are cooked well and push them down into the blender it should be okay. The blender should be able to puree the veggies up nice and smooth without having to add much if any of the broth. If it seems to be struggling add a little of the broth but only as little as needed to blend well. Doing it this way should keep hot liquidy (yes that's probably a word I made up but you know what I mean so it must be a word;) soup from building up pressure and popping the lid off and getting all over you. Since most of the liquid is left in the pot you should just get a nice thick puree with no mess. I have also done this with the Creamy Vegetable Soup and found it is much easier than trying to add all the liquid. All the hot liquid just makes blenders want to become volcanoes! And most of us don't want to just blend one cupful at a time! Adding the puree back to the broth and just using a whisk to stir it still makes it a nice consistency but also give you the option to leave some vegetable chunks if you want!

Earache

I'm sure most of us have had them and we all know they are NOT fun! If you are a mother you know that kids only get them late at night! ;) If you were like I was you probably think that the only thing you can do for an earache is to go to the doctor and get an antibiotic. In fact when my oldest child was a baby we were in the doctor's office many times and I was told she had a ear infection. After repeated visits and stronger antibiotics each time. I remember hearing the word tubes! I was not impressed to say the least I felt like there had to be other answers. At the time I remember praying for help and knowing tubes in her ears were a LAST resort! Around that time my mother was studying about health and had learned a lot of interesting things about cow's milk and the role it can play in children's health. Also my pediatrician recommended giving her a decongestant every time we traveled. It actually seemed to help but deep down I knew It was just treating symptoms and I didn't like a lot of the ingredients in the decongestant. I still had lots to learn about ingredients but I knew I did not like artificial colors of ANY kind. My mom had figured that one out when my younger brother was just a kid! Anyway to not bore you with too many details and to make a long story short. A few years later I read this book!

I highly recommend this book ESPECIALLY to young parents! It has so much great info and it was written by a experienced pediatrician who was not afraid to challenge the status quo. I learned so much from this book and changed my thinking on so many things that I had just accepted as "the only way!" I still wonder why we put so much trust in a system that will go broke if they help us to truly be well. But I won't go off on that it's just earaches I want to focus on this time! Before I go on and tell you what I would do for an earache I want to quote from Dr. Mendelsonhn's book he has a whole chapter in it called "Earaches: Painful, Yes; Dangerous, Rarely!" Here are just a couple of highlights from that chapter.

"Allergies are also a frequent component in the production of ear infection. They may predispose your child to bacterial infection. The most common culprit is cow's milk, in its natural form or as found in infant formula. It causes a swelling of the mucous membranes, which interferes with the drainage of secretions through the eustachian tube. Eventually infection results because of the accumulated secretions."

"A series of controlled studies have revealed that the use of antibiotics for treatment of ear infections makes no difference in terms of the important outcomes--hearing loss, spread of infection, or mastoiditis. Their use may slightly shorten the duration of pain and infection, but the trade-off is that the antibiotics also reduce the body's natural immune response. Consequently, in order to slightly reduce the duration of the infection, you increase the possibility that the child will have new infections every four to six weeks."

Interesting stuff isn't it. But I like to have my cake and eat it too. I don't want to use the antibiotics and reduce the body's natural immune response, but I also want to shorten the duration of pain and infection. So I turned to herbs. With the study of herbs that I have done this is what I have used for earaches with great success. Before I found that you can buy an oil combination with all three herbs I used to put a drop of each in the ears. I now have a favorite E-3 ear oil that is made in my area. I love it! If you are really ambitious you can make your own oils. But I won't go into how to do that right now.

Ear Oil

it is simply Garlic oil

Garlic will kill infection if there is any

Mullein oil

Mullein helps loosen and break up the congestion

and Lobelia tincture

(usually comes in a vinegar or alcohol base)

Lobelia will help with the pain

You can usually find ear oils at a health food store. I would just look at be sure it has those three ingredients usually in a base of pure olive oil. Or you can find each individual product and mix them on your own or put a drop of each in each ear. With earaches I always put the oil in both ears even if only one is hurting.

Just a side note: I do not remember the last ear infection we had around here. It's been AT LEAST 6 years! I blame that on our giving up cow's milk. There have been a couple of times where one of my kids will wake up and say their ear hurts usually I will just rub some of the ear oil behind each ear and down the neck and if they want I will put a drop in each ear. But for the most part in our family earaches are a thing of the past and I couldn't be happier about it!