Kim's Menu & Small Venting Session :)

...Eating food is such a fascinating concept...

...Food is what literally KEEPS US ALIVE...

We HAVE to eat every few hours and are 100% dependent on this food for our daily energy.

What we eat determines SO MUCH about how we look, feel, and act.

The statement: "You ARE what you EAT" has so much truth to it.

But realizing how important that statement is can be an overwhelming experience.

I, for one, am currently burnt out. 

I would like waffles with syrup and milk for breakfast

A "Charlies Steakery" Philly cheese steak w/ lots of ketchup for lunch

and 2 chicken hard shell tacos with refried beans, rice, chips, and salsa for dinner (prepared by someone else besides me)

Followed by a bowl of Breyers vanilla fudge swirl icecream for desert

Oh how i both PITY and ENVY those who can eat this way without any guilt or any bad physical side effects.

If I ate that for a day I would have shooting stomach pains after breakfast (stupid milk), no energy after lunch, 5 lbs of fat added after dinner, and acne in the morning from the dessert. 

"YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT"

So important to remember and sometimes a hard thing to stick to. 

But a few things motivate me to continue spending time and energy caring for my health and the health of my little family (aka Jess).

*I love learning all I can about health so I can help others who are curious and excited about it!

*I love how thankful Jess is when I hand him his homemade dinner or his packed lunch for work

*I love knowing that I did all I could that day or that week to take care of my body that Heavenly Father blessed me with.

*So thankful to not have any serious health problems and want to keep it that way!

*I know my body is very fragile and does not respond well to unhealthy eating at all.  

So for all of you who feel the same way I do today, just know that by reading this blog you are taking a step in the right direction.  Seek knowledge everyday and DO WHAT YOU CAN.  

Because that's all you can do :)

 Dinner Menu for the Week

Mon: Easiest pasta & broccoli recipe (not very good which might be why I'm grumpy :)

Tues: Orange Chicken & Brown Rice w/ Veggies 

Wed: Breakfast for dinner (never did it last week)

Thurs: Crock Pot Sante Fe Chicken 

Fri: Eat Out

Sat or Sun: Leftovers or Crock Pot Baked Potatoes w/ Wheatberry salad 

Hoping tomorrow is a better day!

I know it will be! 

Bountiful Baskets

 

My cute sister-in-law, Holly, found out about Bountiful Baskets recently.  We got our first baskets last Saturday (for only 15$) and I am in love for these reasons…

1.  Saves me time at the grocery store.  (Hooray!)

2.  Saves me money!

3.  Forces us to eat even more fruits/vegetables than we normally do.

4.  Supports eating local and seasonal produce.

5.  Encourages us to try new foods.  (I just found out that purple thing is kale, a serious superfood.)

Go here to read more about them and how to order.  They also offer amazing deals on fresh, clean bread and other yummy foods.  I just ordered my basket for this week along with a box of organic mangoes!  I believe you have until Tuesday at noon to put your order in, but they go pretty fast.  Thanks, Holly! 

READ THIS POST! Menu & Super Food Reveal!

How is it already Tuesday July 12??!!

...Time needs to SLOW DOWN...

On Sunday I must have gotten side tracked because it's TUESDAY and I have NO DINNER PLAN!

For the next two week I am teaching a dance camp from 3-6pm everyday and that really puts a damper on my dinner making time. 

Time to get creative I guess.

Also, I find I am spending more $$ on food lately than I would like. Probably because I am not utilizing LEFTOVERS properly.

Must fix this dilemma...ASAP.

(Vegan) Monday: Whole Wheat Rotelle Pasta, Italian side salad 

Tuesday: Leftover Broccoli Chicken Calzones made with THIS homemade Pizza Dough

(Vegetarian) Wednesday: Breakfast for DINNER! Hashbrown Egg White Nests, fresh fruit smoothies

Thursday: Parmesan Chicken Wraps

Friday: Eat out or Turkey Sandwiches on Homemade Wheat Bread

Saturday or Sunday: All you can eat Veggie Party: cook as many veggies as i can stuff my face with! 

Phew! Now that that is over, on to bigger and better things

...I present to you... 

CHIA SEEDS

 What are they?

Chia seed originated in South America and was a staple in the diets of ancient Mayans and Aztecs. Today, chia is grown by passionate farmers dedicated to this miraculous seed. 

What are the nutritional benefits of Chia seed?

#1: Antioxidants

Chia seed packs more antioxidants than acai, pomegranate, artichoke, or blueberries.

#2: Protein

Chia seed is a complete source of vegetarian protein providing all the necessary amino acids to fuel muscles and build up tissue strength.

#3 Fiber

Chia seeds are extremely nutrient dense, containing nearly 50 energizing nutrients in one small seed. They are gluten free and very abundant in vitamin C, protein, minerals, essential fatty acids, and fiber. The soluble fiber content of chia (about 11 grams in just one ounce) is more than 1/3 of the USDA recommended daily amount. Chia makes you feel full for hours and can absorb more than 10 times its volume in water so that you can fill up on fewer calories!

Also regulates the bowels and can start to work in just one day.  Whether your bowels are "too tight" or "too loose", chia can balance all types of gut grief and calm your colon.

#4 Omega-3s

One ounce of Chia yields about 5 grams of omega-3s, making it the highest source of omega-3s gram to gram of any of the omega-3 rich foods-including flaxseed and salmon. The omega-3s in Chia have also been proven to reduce belly fat.

#5 Minerals

      Once ounce will give you nearly 200 mg of calcium, making this the highest vegetable source of this macro mineral. Chia is also loaded with magnesium, potassium, and zinc!

 How do I store Chia Seed?

  Chia does not need to be refrigerated or ground up to release their spectacular nutritional benefits, however it has been said that soaking the seeds in water for 12 hours releases the omega-3s and makes them more EASILY digestible. Since they soak up 10 times their volume in water, eating them without soaking can cause them to soak up the liquid in your stomach and cause cramps. 

How do I soak Chia Seed?

The ratio for chia seed soaking is 1 cup of water : 1 Tablespoon of seed

I usually do 4 cups at a time in a large pitcher and keep it in my fridge and allow to soak for atleast 12 hours before consuming. 

Can I eat Chia Seed without soaking?

Of course! These seeds are great in oatmeal, smoothies, dressings, soups, stews, eggs, etc. The possibilities are endless. I personally have not had any "stomach trouble" consuming them without soaking. 

What do they taste like?

I have tried chia sprinkled on top of my oatmeal and I notice NO taste difference. When the seeds are soaked, I will say that the TEXTURE is not pleasant. But they have NO TASTE, which is a plus. They just taste "earthly" if that makes sense. The texture can only be described in two words... "slimy balls"

      

How can I down soaked Chia seeds and make it more pleasant?

GATORADE! Put 1 cup of soaked chia seeds in 1 1/2 cups of any flavor COLD gatorade and enjoy. Seriously NOT BAD AT ALL!  

 

So there you have it my friends

A cute little seed packed with mega nutrients and no taste

As always... EVERYTHING IN MODERATION

Just because this seed is amazing doesn't mean you should down the whole bag in a day. I try to drink 1 cup of soaked Chia a day, which equals 1 Tablespoon of seed. I have noticed the fiber benefits most of all. When your bowels move correctly you feel skinny and healthy! Not bloated and sluggish. 

Give these a try, about $7 for a whole pound bag. 

Madras Lentils - EASY, CLEAN, QUICK!

I think we can all agree that the PERFECT recipe is something EASY to make, contains CLEAN HEALTHY ingredients, and is QUICK to whip up and clean up. Well, here is EASY, CLEAN, & QUICK in a nutshell...

or in a yellow baggie :)

 MADRAS LENTILS!

Ingredients: Water, Tomatoes, Lentils, Red beans, onions, cream, butter, salt, sunflower oil, chilies, cumin.

I CAN PRONOUNCE ALL THE INGREDIENTS! And I know what they all are! That's a serious indication of a "good for you" quick meal. 

Other great things about this meal:

*Good amount of protein, high in fiber

*All natural

*Vegetarian

*Gluten Free

*No MSG

*No Preservatives

Jess and I just split the MADRAS LENTILS for lunch and put it on top of some leftover SPANISH RICE I had made earlier this week. (New recipe from Simplyrecipes.com)  So yummy with some Reduced Guilt Tortilla Chips from Trader Joes. With the rice already prepared this meal took 2 1/2 minutes to prepare.

*AWESOME*

I believe Sprouts carries this TASTY BITE brand in their store but I am not sure if they sell this specific meal. We get ours from COSTCO. They come 4 in a box and are somewhere between $8-$10 for the box. 

Zucchini Bread

I love this time of the year with all the fresh vegetables in season.  My dad has been gardening for a few years now and inspired me to start my own this past fall.  Unfortunately, my summer garden was a failure so luckily he supplies me with plenty of red, juicy tomatoes and delicious zucchini on a weekly basis.  I got a pressure cooker for Christmas and it gives a whole new meaning to steaming vegetables!  Our zucchini takes just minutes and the flavor is amazing.  I also like to use some of my zucchini to make bread.  I found this healthier zucchini bread recipe on Eating Well last year and made my own adaptations.  I would highly recommend.  (This recipe makes two loaves.)

Zucchini Bread

1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup pecan halves
3 cups whole wheat flour (fresh ground is best, let me know if you want some)
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 T. baking powder
2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1/4 t. ground cloves
1 1/2 t. salt
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup honey
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
3/4 cup applesauce
1/3 cup canola oil
3 cups shredded zucchini (about 2 small zucchini)

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat two 9 x 5 load pans with cooking spray.  Spread oats and pecans on separate parts of a baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, about 5-10 minutes.  Let cool, then chop the pecans.  Set aside about 2 T. of the toasted oats if you want to sprinkle some on top.
2.  Stir together the toasted oats, the pecans, both flours, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in a mixing bowl.
3.  Whisk together brown sugar, honey, eggs, egg whites, applesauce, and oil in another bowl; stir in zucchini.  (I use a cheese grater to grate mine.)
4.  Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until well combined.
5.  Divide the batter between the prepared loaf pans, smoothing the tops.  Sprinkle 1 T. of reserved oats on top of each loaf.  Bake until the tops feel firm when lightly pressed and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 45-55 minutes.
6.  Let loaves cool in the pans for 5 minutes; turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Let us know how yours turned out!

Homemade Pizza Dough

This pizza dough recipe is my absolute favorite. I use it anytime I make pizza or calzones. Start by using 1/2 wheat, 1/2 white flour and work your way up to 100% whole wheat pizza dough.

 

Ingredients:

* 2 cups flour (use 1 c. wheat flour, 1 c. unbleached white flour) 

* 1 T. sugar

* 1 tsp. sea salt

* 1 pkg yeast (use Fleischmann's RAPIDRISE highly active yeast)

* 1 1/2 T. olive oil

* 1 cup heated milk (microwave 1 minute)

Directions:

* Mix all ingredients EXCEPT oil and milk. Heat milk for 1 minute in the microwave and add oil to the heated milk, stir together. Add milk and oil mixture to dry ingredients gradually while STIRRING until dough forms. (dough should be sticky, but not wet)

*Roll dough onto greased cookie sheet or pizza stone. Add toppings

*Cook at 350 degrees until lightly browned (About 25 min.)

*Always follow the instructions in your specific pizza or calzone recipe. If the recipe says to cook the pizza at 425 for 12 min., do so.