She Hath Done What She Could in the Home

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Thinking ahead.....

I'm finding healthy eating takes effort.  Many times you have to think ahead so that you have a "plan".  You know the saying "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!"  I think this is especially true when it comes to eating right.  If I don't plan ahead and take healthy snacks with us on outings, I have to resort to my "best" choice at Subway or McDonalds.  Today, we went to Subway and I got a veggie sandwich with a veggie patty on oat wheat (5 g fiber) and loaded up with every veggie there!  So, not too bad in a pinch.


My #1 son ALWAYS wants pancakes- really- every single morning this is what he says!  Of course, you can't eat pancakes every morning but I wanted to grant his request, so here I have prepared a batch to soak overnight.   In the morning he will have healthy, homemade pancakes with freshly ground whole wheat, oat bran, raw wheat germ, cage free eggs, raw sugar and rolled oatmeal.  I feel better about that than Eggos!   The recipe calls for even MORE healthy items, but I'm doing the basic recipe for a trial and I'll add things as we go - you can find it here.

My kids are ALWAYS hungry, so tonight I tried some cookies I got from the Chetday Amazing Cookie email group.  They are great I must say - they can snack on these when hunger strikes!  I'm getting my second fridge on Tuesday and can't wait! That way I can make up big batches and freeze them!  



------------------------------------------------------
Traditional Cookie Recipe Courtesy of Will
Bontrager- From ChetDay subscription to Amazing Cookies
------------------------------------------------------

Good Will's Anytime Cookie Recipe

Excellent cookies, especially the second day.
High in
fiber, low on the glycemic scale. Good for
breakfast,
lunch, anytime.

1 cup stone ground whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp soda
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 stick (4 oz) softened butter
3 eggs
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup pecan pieces
4 cups oatmeal (old fashioned)

Mix together whole wheat flour, salt, and soda.
Set
aside.

In separate bowl mix together brown sugar and
butter.
Add the eggs and mix. Add peanut butter and mix.
Add
water and vanilla and mix well.

Add dry ingredients from above.

Stir together, then add pecan pieces.

Add the oatmeal, 1 cup at a time.

When all is mixed well, drop by spoonfuls on
ungreased
cookie sheet.

Bake at 350F for 10 to 13 minutes.

Store covered.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Definitions change.........


Here is tonight's dessert!  The kids just had the plain homemade granola recipe from Green Smoothie Girl's Collection (made with coconut oil and no refined sugar), but I had vanilla yogurt topped with homemade granola and frozen organic blueberries - it was delicious!  Gone are the days of Oreos and Ice Cream!  We are re-training our palates to not demand super sweet treats.  

Sunday, March 16, 2008

What exercise can do for you - Before and After Shots!

I thought I'd post some before and after shots, showing just what healthy eating and exercise can do if you are consistent. It's been 5 years and I still eat right and workout - I've found no other "magic" way to do it! I lost 40 pounds total over the course of 2-3 years. Slow and steady wins the race!  

During the course of the 5 years, we have tried many different styles of eating and it's been  a process figuring out what works for our tastes, time and budget.  It's been a progression to get to this point, but I place emphasis on whole foods, minimizing all preservatives, additives and food colorings.  Recently, I've even been re-evaluating foods like Cheerios or Granola Bars, because they are more processed than I'd like to consume.  

Some of things I do daily:
1.  Take a green powder drink.  Recently I've found Amazing Grass and really love the product.  It's also affordable and Amazon has started carrying it!  (Free ship over $25.)
2.  Drink a daily Green Smoothie!  I got a Vitamix shortly before Christmas and I'm so happy that I found Green Smoothie Girl's website because her information has helped me so much! We are committed to the daily Green Smoothie.  The kids each drink about 1.5 cups and DH & I have anywhere from 16-32 oz.  
3.  Snack on fresh fruits and veggies.  We also rely on Wasa crackers with natural peanut, almond or cashew butter, air popped popcorn, nuts, light stick cheese, frozen organic yogurt sticks, hard boiled eggs.
4.  Eating main dishes with beans,  legumes or lentils.  We still eat meat, but not at every meal. 
5.  Eat "good" meats!  Grass-fed beef, free range chicken and eggs from free range chickens.  These things all cost more, but from all my reading, the benefits to health are immense. 
6.  Buy only organic milk and butter and less of it.  We don't drink milk as a beverage and use it mostly for breakfast cereals.  We use real butter sparingly.
7.  Incorporate kefir into smoothies for the probiotic value.  
8.  Invest in some supplements.  Hopefully we are getting a vast amount of our nutrition from our food.  I supplement with a chewable calcium/d, vitamin E, fish oil, evening primrose oil (has helped a great deal with PMS), magnesium, probiotics, natural digestive enzymes and vitamin C powder.  
Check out the large mid-section!  It looks like I could be expecting again!  That's what having 3 babies in 1.5 years does to the ol' belly!  My little boy was about 6 months old in this picture.  I carried around my extra baby weight for a while- I did not start trying to lose the pounds until the twins were around 3!

Me and my better half out on the town!  Happens very rarely so we had to get a photo!



Photo with my $3 Target shirt!

Saturday, March 15, 2008

A Bit of Baking Today!




Tomorrow is Sunday and with that brings church and the goodies offered to the kids:  Capri Sun, Cheetos, doughnuts, boxed cookies, chips, soda.  It's enough to make this nutrition lovin' mama go crazy!!  

I'm trying to make some healthier alternatives for my children so they can still have a snack during break time but not fill up on additives, preservatives, food colorings and sugar.  
I've been taking 100% real fruit juice boxes (not too crazy about these either, but for once a week it's better than the alternative).  

Tonight I made some whole wheat zucchini bread, homemade granola bars from Hillbilly Housewife and peanut butter granola.  I've tasted them all and they are yumm!  I used coconut oil in the zucchini bread and it's great!  

I think we are going in the right direction as I bought my kids a cookie at the mall tonight.  My 8 year old daughter said after eating it "I feel gross after eating that cookie.  I know there were many things in it that aren't good for you!"  Kids are smart - they know what makes them feel good and fuels their body and they know what makes them feel lethargic and bad. 

Changes taking place.........


Well, I'm always on to some "health" kick as they say! This week, I'm working on replacing my plastics with glass! I will never heat in plastic in the micro again and I'm even moving away from using the micro to heat at all (but that's another story!)

I got these Pyrex dishes at Target pretty cheap and they come with lids (plastic of course, but the food doesn't touch them and I won't heat with them.) You can use them in the freezer, oven, micro and dishwasher. I feel like my fridge is starting to look like my mother's. She always put leftovers in glass. She has been right about a lot of things the "experts" are just finding out!

Also in the background of the picture you can see my trusty Vita-mix which we still love and use daily for our smoothies (Green Smoothie, Hot Pink Smoothie, Kefir Smoothies for the kids).

I also have made the switch to coconut oil! I am a bit leary about it! I've read so much great info on it, yet I can't wrap my mind around the saturated fat thing. I'm hoping the research I've read proves accurate. We will see after DH's cholesterol tests! I'm still hoping to read The Coconut Oil Miracle.

I also got some Ghee (clarified butter) to use in cooking. I use it sparingly, but it tastes great and melts wonderfully for cooking. I'm simply trying to use moderate amounts of REAL food instead of ample amounts of fake (margarine, spreads, smart balance).

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Grant that I may not criticize........


When I was growing up, we had a plaque that hung on the wall next to our telephone.  Now, this was back in the day when there were no cell phones and no cordless phones. When you got on the phone, you just sat, attached to the handset and cord, and talked!  Throughout my teenage years, I spent a lot of time on the phone and so I read that plaque over and over to myself.  It said: 

Indian Prayer
Grant that I may not criticize my neighbor, 
Until I have walked a mile in his moccasins


For the past week, I worked 40 hours.  The job I have requires me to work only one day per week.  This is ideal, as I homeschool my children, and on the day I work, they take a nature class.  Well, in order to keep my one day per week job, I occasionally (4 times per year) fill in for other administrative assistant's vacations.  This week I was filling in for the receptionist.  

I think I can safely say I have (in a very limited way) walked in the shoes of my friends and neighbors who are working mothers and I have no criticism to offer.  I only have support.

I must say, every time I do this, I find a new respect for the American Working Mother. It is NOT easy to work 40 hours a week (plus commute time) come home and fix a healthy dinner, talk to the kids, clean the kitchen, do some laundry, spend time with your husband, take care of the dog, and then prepare to do it all over again the next day.  I seriously think working women are Super Women!!  

I read many blogs where posts are written that all women should be staying at home. There is no way to know the particular situation of all working women, so we can't make such a blanket statement.  

The following are a few personal examples I know of working mothers:

Some of our friends lived in a very bad part of the city.  They lived in a drug infested neighborhood.  In order to move out of that situation, the mother had to take a job.  She found good care for her daughter with spiritual people and worked a job.  In a few years time, they were able to move from that location to a much safer home.  This woman's daughter is now 19 years old.  She sits by her mother at every church service arm in arm while many other teens don't even want to sit with their parents.  It is obvious they have a strong and loving relationship.  She was both a working woman and keeper of the home.  

Another one of my friends rises each morning at 3:30 am to be at work by 4:30 am, so she can be off work by 2:30 pm to pick up her children from school.  This requires that she adhere to a very strict time schedule, but she is doing this so she can be with her children when they are home from school.  Her husband works an alternate shift to be with the children in the morning.  They also moved to get out of a bad living situation, drug and gang filled streets. They have come to a safer place to provide a better life for their children.  I define this as a working woman and worthy woman. 

The Bible does not say that women can't work outside the home, it simply says that the woman is to be the keeper of the home.  Many women are multi-talented enough to work and keep their home in order.  The Proverbs 31 woman did this very thing.  She had other work outside of her homekeeping and her family rose up and called her blessed. 

We need to guard our attitudes and refrain from passing judgement on others who choose to work.  Everyone has a unique situation for their family.  

When I start to talk about what people "should" be doing, I try to remember the words of that plaque that hung in my childhood home and pray that God will help me to guard my tongue and only speak those words that would uplift and admonish my sisters in Christ. 

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Recipe Swap 2008! Today's category - unhealthy snacks!

I'm joining in almost too late!  
We call this Texas Sheet Cake, but this recipe says Texas Brownies -it's the same recipe I got from my mom.  When I take this to potluck, it is always the first desert gone!  With a hint of java, it's delicious!! 



Resisting the deals for a reason..........



Wow! This is hard! I keep reading online all the free cereal that is available this week and it's killing me to not go get it! I was having lots of fun stocking up free or near free boxed cereals and then I was doing some reading one day and the cereals I "thought" were healthy, really aren't if you look closely at them, so I am quitting dry cereal. It takes a lot of willpower to NOT go get the free cereal because free food helps keep the budget down!



Some people may think this is "extreme" but I started thinking about it. Many times I hear people say - "A little bit isn't going to hurt you. Having it once in a while is OK." Really? I don't think I can agree with those statements. I would never say - "A little cigarette smoking is OK. Drinking a little poison isn't going to hurt you." Some of the ingredients in processed foods aren't far from these- chemicals foreign to the human body and preservatives made from crude oil. I can't say it's OK to put these into my sweet children's bodies. I feel I have to teach them how to eat from a young age so they can have a good start and enjoy health throughout their lives.

The other day while taking my chewable calcium pill (trying to be healthy here!!) I noticed it had some nice Red Dye # whatever in it!!!! Acckkk! Why does that need to be in there? Because I won't take it if it isn't "pretty"? Yikes. Now I have to find a new source for my calcium supplement.

The following is a link to several articles on preservatives in food. After clicking here scroll down to the bottom of the page to get to more articles. They are informative. This one especially gives some good information. Remember also that additives go by many names. Things I thought were harmless on labels like "natural flavorings" actually aren't harmless. I've had to do a lot of reading to educate myself on the different things to look out for in food. Do I believe everything I read? No. But I research for myself and dig deeper and look for substantial information with sources or studies to back it up. It's a continual process to stay informed.

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Financial Shape 2008!


Over at Crystal's blog we are checking in today with our stats and goals. I did meet my goal of coming under my grocery budget in February (under by $335 - written on in another post). I also made some new health goals for our family in that post.

Now on to March goals!

1. I am using cash for groceries this month. I put even less $$ into my envelope than last month to see if I can do it. I'm not sure I can because this month I had to order some supplements (Amazing Grass Wheat Grass, Nutiva Coconut Oil, Nutiva Protein Powder, Sustenex Probiotics, Eskimo-3 Fish Oil, Carlson Fish Oil for the kids, Esther-C and I few others I can't remember right now!) I am going to try. I am doing less "couponing" and more whole food shopping, so it's taking me more time to compare stores and prices of organic produce and lean meats.

2. I want to apply some extra $$ to our workout room and bedroom remodel. Hopefully I will be able to do that this month.

3. Keep the kids going on their financial path! In February, we started helping the kids manage their money. I created an Excel spreadsheet - they plug in their earnings and it calculates their contribution to the church (15%), savings (30%) and expenses (what they can spend 55%). This is a very basic plan as they are still very young. They are not paid for regular household chores, but I am "hiring" them for extra jobs such as folding towels and cutting grass. My 9 year old now has 2 grass cutting jobs and all 3 of my kids take turns collecting recycling bottles. I want to get the new book Young Bucks as it seems to have lots of great ideas for kids!

Saturday, March 1, 2008

Nutrition Resources that have helped me!


"The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth" by nutritionist Jonny Bowden is one of my favorite books.  It's easy to read, is very unbiased and he gives supporting information for everything he writes. I refer to it often. I was very surprised to find that in the whole book he only recommends 3 grains - oatmeal, quinoa and brown rice! No wheat! We are making the switch to lessen our grain intake and increase our vegetable intake. You will love using this book as a tool in eating healthier.

"The Anti-Inflammation Diet and Recipe Book" by Dr. Jessica Black has been very helpful in finding out which foods cause silent inflammation in the body.  She also is not a big advocate of wheat and says it's one of the biggest offenders in inflammation of the body.  She also speaks about dairy and sugar. Why should you be concerned about inflammation?  Here is a link to an excerpt from "The Zone Diet" doctor, Dr. Barry Sear's book "The Anti-Inflammation Zone".





We got "The Good Carb Cookbook" back when my husband did the South Beach Diet a few years ago.  It has so many healthy but easy recipes I turn to it often.  In fact, after buying this cookbook by Sandra Woodruff, I bought about four more of her books on Bookcloseouts very reasonable. (Currently, this book is available there for $5.99!)  She not only gives recipes, but gives a good deal of nutritional background at the beginning of the book.   Her background is a Registered Dietician. 

Stay tuned for another installment of books and resources that have helped me in my nutrition studies!