Yogurt Sundae!

Every so often (not even that often) I may come up with a good idea. Or at least I think it's a good idea. And maybe it's not, but I can think it is. :) So this particular day I can up with a yogurt bar ... maybe because I really wanted ice cream, but didn't want my kids to have ice cream. So, that's how yogurt came to be. Kids LOVE creating their own ... anything! Especially food! They love shapes, fun colors (not artificial), cooking, and exploring different foods. "It's ok if you don't like it, but you have to try it" is what we say around here. And most times they like it!

Ok ... on to yogurt bar. It's simple. Each get a bowl of yogurt (I use Plain Whole Milk Organic). Yes, I said PLAIN yogurt. Is it hard for me to eat plain ... yes. The kids however LOVE it. I add a little honey and granola for me. And just fruit for the kids (frozen blueberries, strawberries, peaches etc.) Use an ice cube tray or plate or any device with compartments. Fill with anything: fruit, homeade granola, nuts, ground flaxseed, anything you can find.

 

I should have taken the after picture ... it's a little messy - but who cares! They are eating a low sugar, healthy snack or dessert or breakfast - whatever. And they LOVE it. Shoot ... I love it! :)

 

Peace!

 



Simple.

It's so nice to wake up to a quiet (almost too quiet) house, drink my coffee, read a little and share with you folks. I think I am waking up earlier and earlier to get more of that quiet time. HA! Let's see ... this morning I was thinking about habits. It takes 21 days to form a habit. Kate - is your habit of planks formed yet? :) After doing the 30 day Paleo clean eating challenge - I formed new habits. Lots more veggies, no more cereal, occasionally breads, no more milk (ice cream does not fit in that category), and just overall healthier eating. I formed a habit of exercising, cleaning (well, sorta), taking my kids to mother's day out (that habit was easy - love that one! A WHOLE lot!). :) But what I haven't formed a good habit of is praying ... all day ... without ceasing. Yes, I pray. But ... I never feel like it's enough. So, when I saw this little picture:

I thought ... ok. That's totally doable! My hand is attached to me ... I am constantly using it ... so if I can just form a habit (and remember what each finger is) - so, here's to 21 days! :)

Peace!

Bees ...

Scary stuff. Ever time to go to HEB they are out of Almonds to make Almond Butter. That's not the scary part - the scary part is "why" they are out of Almonds. NO BEES! Over the past several years the bee population has been in serious decline ... why do we care? Bees polinate everything! If there are no bees - we have no trees, veggies, flowers, nada. Why are the bees dying? Because everything they are trying to pollinate has been sprayed with tons of pesticides/herbicides/fungicides and every other cide you can think of. They gather from plant, take to bee hive, they all die. Check out this article: http://www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/scientists-discover-another-cause-bee-deaths-and-its-really-bad-news.html

Another tid bit about GMOs - so apparently these GMO crops do not reproduce. Smart one Monsanto ... so we can't plant a veggie, harvest seeds, and replant. Nope. It won't grow. So what do we have to do - go buy another plant, or another seed. Who controls the plants and seeds - Monsanto. Are they GMO? YES! Bad bad cycle. And it's all about the $$! They already control 40% of the food industry. www.seedsnow.com - Non GMO seeds to plant.

Wowzers!!!! That's what a GMO is!

Calcium

Calcium Rich Foods for Pregos:
Spinach: At 120 mg per 1/2 cup cooked, spinach is a solid go-to source for non-dairy calcium and provides hefty doses of other essential prenatal nutrients, including iron, folate and beta carotene.
Idea: Pizza: Ezekial pita bread, pesto, sliced tomato, lots of spinach, mozzerella - bake, eat, enjoy!

Canned Salmon (Wild Alaskan Sockeye is best): A 3-ounce serving of canned salmon (with bones) contains 180 mg of calcium and a hefty dose of omega-3 essential fatty acids, a nutrient known to boost brain development.
Idea: Salmon cakes - 2 eggs, dried dill, chopped green onions (whisk all that), add 2 cans drained salmon. Stir. Make into patties and cook in coconut oil like a pancake. Fantastic. I make them all the time!

Unhulled Sesame Seeds: With a surprising 88 mg of calcium in every tablespoon-sized serving, unhulled sesame seeds add extra calcium when sprinkled over a salad and can be used as a versatile ingredient in cooking.
Idea: I had to keep a bag of mixed nuts in my bag at all times. Good protein and fat. Add some dried fruit (without sugar added) and there is a great snack.

Almonds: When it comes to calcium, it’s OK to go a little nuts. With approximately 88 mg of calcium in every 1/4-cup serving, almonds are a delicious way to add some crunch to your daily calcium intake. Almonds contain other pregnancy-friendly nutrients too, including heart-healthy mono-unsaturated fats, magnesium, vitamin E, and zinc.www.babyzone.com

And since I don't drink milk anymore ... I always have to come up with new calcium ideas. You can incorporate a ton of stuff in a smoothie - when you are ready to drink them.
My daily one is something like this: Coconut water (pure), kefir, Garden of Life Protein powder, lots of swiss chard (but not too much ... has to be drinkable), frozen fruit - strawberries, blueberries, anything), banana, sometimes whole milk plain yogurt.

There ya go. That's a good start for ya! Easy stuff.

So many ...

There are so many thoughts/ideas/posts I have that I can't wait to blog about. The problem - my computer. Yes ... it's crap! It is the slowest machine on the planet and sometimes just decides to not do anything. So when I think about sitting down to blog I get anxious - because of this darn thing. Saving up for a new one. Hopefully this one holds out until then. I hope I don't throw it out the window first.

:) On to happy news - bursting about our HOLLY! Praise the Lord! So you can expect lots of pregnancy posts coming. Now that means that you ... along with Kate, have to read this. HA! So there ... I have two followers. And I know that you guys won't leave mean comments so it's all good.

Let's see ... check out Garden of Life products. They make Prenatal vitamins and protein powder that I put in smoothies every day. http://www.gardenoflife.com/ProductsforLife/THEVITAMINCODEsupsup/MultivitaminFormulas/RAWPrenatal/tabid/1823/Default.aspx
Also look into Fermented Cod Liver Oil. Started taking that recently instead of the Omega 3. Check it out: http://healthybabycode.com/cod-liver-oil-natures-most-potent-superfood

I was on a prescription prenatal for both Madeline and Andrew - until I looked at the bright BLUE pill and thought ... hmmmm ... a big bright blue artifically colored vitamin? Weird. Yes ... very! Then I read what was in the capsule ... a whole bunch of stuff I couldn't pronounce along with lots of known carcinogens (cancer causing) like BLUE #5! Really? Here pregnant lady and new baby ... take some blue #5. Um no. Switched. Now I know what I am taking - it's actually real FOOD!

A wee bit about Acupuncture and fertility. :)
"On its own, acupuncture can be seen as an alternative way of treating fertility problems. It is also often seen as a complementary therapy to modern fertility treatments. When used alone, though, acupuncture is probably most effective for those couples who are experiencing a functional problem, like irregular ovulation, rather than a structural problem, like a blockage in the sperm ducts. Some practitioners will also recommend Chinese herbs for infertility that will supplement the acupuncture and any other treatment you may be receiving."  http://www.fertilityfactor.com/

Just sayin .... I know one thing - acupuncture can induce labor - so I will never again go in for an induction with Pitocin. Whoot whoot! :) 

And so this post doesn't get to long ... the one that follows will be about Calcium. :) Basically touching on all the things we talked about today. HA!

It's past my bedtime ...

For all the soon to be mommas ...

Thankfully with my first two pregnancies, I did not have morning sickness. But I did have to get up every hour to eat or pee. Lots of eating. But, I know so many people who struggle and suffer for 9 months and that makes me sad. It's hard to even enjoy those few months of being pregnant and enjoying ice cream twice a day instead of once. Wait. What? :)

So ... I am on the hunt for morning sickness remedies. Maybe they will work ... maybe not. But it's worth the try ehh?

Check this one out:
http://everydayroots.com/energy-drink-ice-cubes-for-morning-sickness

Hello!

Let's see here ... my very first post. Hmmm ... now what?! Ha! Thank you Kate for encouraging me to do this little blog for like 2 years now. This means that you have to read it. And if you are the only one that does ... I am ok with that. :) That's comforting to know that one person will see it.

Every blue moon ... well, every 3rd blue moon I feel like I have a good idea. Most of the time it's kid related, sometimes health related, sometimes husband related, and sometimes a good idea on how to just survive the day. Like when your kids are emotional and crying and following you around the house ... just turn on the vaccuum and start cleaning. The noise of the vaccuum drowns out their crying and they leave and go play somewhere else so they don't have to hear the noise. Not sure if that's considered a good idea, but it sure works!

There are 1 million blog sites/websites/Facebook sites with all sorts of fantastic information. Most likely I will direct you to those sites often. They are fabulous ... although a little overwhelming. Lots of info. Not sure where to start ... ever. So I will direct you to a specific recipe, idea, diy, thought, etc. So then I am just not another overwhelming site. HA!

I will also try not to make my posts/ideas/thoughts too long ... I like to read short things and to the point. I like to just print the recipe and not have to read the history of how it came to be. I want to know what the remedy for whatever it is without clicking on 8 links first.  

There ya go! I started.

Now I'm exhausted. It 8:15 too early to go to bed? :)