Accomplishment

Well hello to you my beautiful, strong friend! I hope this winter is treating you well. It has been record breaking cold and snow in much of the country. If you are in that part of the country I hope you are safe and warm and enjoying some extra family cuddle time.

You might be a full time parent, successful business person, doctor, nurse, teacher, lawyer, administrative assistant, military (Thank You!), retired or any other myriad of careers. We all have something in common. We all need and crave accomplishment. Remember the early days with your newborn baby at home? If you were like me you felt as if you accomplished a lot if you had a shower and changed your own clothes and had a happy, well-fed baby by the end of the night. But now, right now, what does accomplishment mean to you?

I am a "pleaser" by nature. Meaning I tend to find my joy by giving joy to others. I feel accomplished if I have done my job of taking care of others (my children). But today is a little different. I am holding my head a bit higher. I have a different feel of accomplishment. I completed a house task all by myself. My 4 year old daughter watched me closely (but at a safe distance) as I sawed, painted, nailed, caulked, taped and admired the job I did today. Last week I took apart and fixed 2 sinks, fixed the garbage disposal and now today I accomplished framing the mirror in my bathroom. Something I have wanted to do since I first eyed the large but rather drab mirror. 

Typically I give you recipes but I have been slacking in that department. But I'll give you a killer one after I'm finished bragging about my wood working job. I need to give a shout out to Mrs. Buffalo. She was my industrial arts teacher when I was a kid. I can't remember what grade but I'm crazy, ridiculous, embarrassingly good with names so i remember that at least. I also remember how awesome, smart and powerful she looked as she used tools to create works of usable art in class. I felt like Mrs. Buffalo, confident and strong as I showed my kids that I can fix things! Here is my project!

This was my bathroom mirror. Large and in charge but definitely lacking. I knew it needed a frame. Big sis, T, cleverly told me to use wood and not tile since tile can go out of style. Always listen to wise older sisters! I'm lucky to have 2 of them!

See how boring it was?! That's my liquid nail! New fun toy !

Now look at that!!!! The frame makes it so much better! 

I had to tape just to be sure the liquid nail did its job! My beautiful assistant was admiring my tools!

Ta Da!!!!!!! Now all I have to do is remove the tape tomorrow and it'll be perfecto! What do you think? 

Now it's time for a fire made by ME!!!!!!! And by the way. My Mom said she's SO proud of me and then she tried the dinner I made tonight and said I should sell it! She wants my Asian taco recipe. My kids loved it too! Score for me today!!!!!!!!! I did something good and made a good meal. 

Here's my super easy recipe for Asian Tacos:

2 pounds raw chicken rubbed in a tiny bit of sea salt and black pepper

Big bag of Trader Joes peppers and onions (frozen)

1 can drained/rinsed garbanzo 

1 can drained/rinsed black beans

1 whole big ole can of chopped tomatoes (I used Trader Joes brand for all canned goods)

1 jar of Trader Joes Thai Red Curry sauce ( seriously this stuff is the bommmmbbbbbb!!!!!!)

Now here's the crazy fun part. Put all that jazz in your crock pot (or slow cooker as it's commonly called nowadays). Here's the 1920s girl in me coming out....... Ready for it? After you pour the whole jar of Thai sauce in the crock pot pour a little water (like 1/2 cup tops for you measuring type A people) in the jar of Thai sauce. Screw the lid on nice and tight and shake it up. Get every last bit of your sauce out of that jar! Now this trick works on EVERYTHING! Lotion, makeup, food! Don't waste anything! Ok, back to directions....... Just stir all that up and set your crock pot on low for 8 hrs or high for 4-6 hours. You will have the most delectable, melt-in-your-mouth, awesome chicken and veggies! 

Now for the kids I just warmed taco shells and let them spoon the filling into their taco shells, add cheese and they were in chicken heaven! I added chopped jalapeños and ate mine over steamed kale. Yummmmmmyyyyyyy! Seriously, try it. If my Mama tells me to write it down and sell it then you know it's awesome! Enjoy and tell me what you think! 

Any Meal Egg Frittata

Hello There Awesome Reader of all Foods Good!

It is now the Christmas season. Time for being with friends and family curled up in front of the fireplace and listening to soft Christmas music in the background. Cooking and eating together is always a big part of the season too. I have created a recipe that I know you will love and it can be made ahead of time so that you can enjoy those special moments with your loved ones. You know my love affair with eggs, right? Well, this recipe has a dozen of them so you can imagine how excited it makes me. Mmmmmm mmmmm and it makes the kitchen smell so very nice. The best part about this recipe is that it can be enjoyed at any meal. It makes an awesome make ahead breakfast for Christmas morning but it's equally satisfying as dinner served on top of a salad or steamed greens. It is high in protein from the eggs and sausage and contains super healthy carbs from the home grown sweet potatoes (thanks to my awesome sister's garden..... Thank you Melissa!). 

I hope you enjoy my latest creation and thank you, Janae, for the kind compliments prompting me to share some of my new recipes. It is inspirational for me that you enjoy my recipes and my blog!

Any Meal Egg Frittata 

12 eggs

2 cups grated sweet potato 

1 cup chopped sweet onion

1 1/2 cups grated zucchini (grate then squeeze out all moisture using a clean kitchen towel. Measure after squeezing)

1 1/2 cups sausage, diced(I used Trader Joes)

Salt and pepper to taste

Coconut oil (2 T and 1 T for greasing your pan)

Preheat Oven to 350. Grease a 13x 9 pan with 1 T coconut oil and set prepared pan aside. Heat coconut oil in a skillet on medium heat and add grated sweet potatoes and onions. Cook until onions are translucent and sweets are slightly browned. Add diced sausage and cook another 3 min or so. Add squeezed zucchini & cook while stirring 3-4 min. Add salt and pepper if desired.... I actually don't think they are needed with this spicy sausage. Now pour sweet potato mixture into the prepared 13x9 pan. Make sure it is evenly distributed. In a separate mixing bowl whisk eggs. Then pour the whisked eggs on top of the veggies mixture. Bake about 15 min or until set in the center. Cut into 12 squares and enjoy!!!!! Yummy!!!!

The squares are served on top of a halved and roasted eggplant.....adds another dimension to this healthy meal. 

Forgiving

It's something we as humans are not born with. It must be learned. It must be taught. Forgiving. Forgiving yourself. Forgiving others. Forgiving situations. Forgiving and realizing you are lucky to be able to start again. This, as we know, can encompass many aspects of our lives. Family, relationships, and as this is a blog/website about nutrition and wellness we all know forgiving must also be done in areas of self healing and weight management. If you are on the right path and then an obstacle comes in your way and creates a road block FORGIVE yourself. Mama always says, "You are your own worst critic". Others do not see your flaws. They see your beauty, your love, your passion. Sometimes forgiving yourself is the hardest thing of all but it can be the most freeing. 

So how was your weekend? Did you make healthy decisions? You can control how you think, how you move and what you eat. Weekends can be a tough time to do our best but tomorrow is Monday. A perfect time to start anew. And guess what I just read...... Never skip a Monday workout. Never. Ever. So I will be working out tomorrow. Join me. Start anew. Realize that forgiving is a lifelong action. But start with yourself. Be the best YOU you can be. 

I had frosted shredded wheat for a bedtime snack with my kids and it was so good. So so good and it reminded me of being 19 and going to school all day and working all night and coming home to a nice bowl of cereal for dinner. Good times for sure but probably not the best 8pm snack for me to have but tomorrow is Monday. The world starts over. A new beginning. So smile when you wake up. Let your alarm go off, stop the sound and then smile. Your life is worth smiling about and you are loved and its a new day. I will give you some awesome recipes this week! Smile at a stranger tomorrow too..... It's crazy how contagious it is.

View from atop the Ravenel Bridge in Mount Pleasant, SC. Awesome way to exercise and see Charleston and enjoy the view. 

Stress and Love

I have had a busy few weeks! By busy I mean BUSY but life is what you make of it. Some people say life can be stressful but that too is in the eyes of the beholder. Most seemingly stressful situations can also be looked at as exciting (I do admit there are down right stressful times though folks..... I am a glass half full gal but I'm not totally in the clouds.). It's how events are presented and perceived that will cause you to be either stressed or excited. Lets just take moving cross country for example.... Solo and with children and a dog for example......just to make things a bit more spicy. Look at life as exciting and an adventure and others, including children, will view it that way too. Be aware that your children are tiny, little sponges that soak up all of the information around them. That could mean as little as how you treat the woman serving you your coffee at the coffee shop or as big as how you treat them and how you teach them to love each other and the world around them. But guess what? It's all related. If you are impatient, heartless and demanding to every server who brings you food you are teaching your kids by modeling your behavior. Every moment, every second is a teaching experience waiting to happen so grab onto it. Have a long car trip planned with the kids? Play the license plate game (see who can tell what state's plate is in front of you first), or play ABC game (find each letter of the alphabet on signs, billboards and cars. First one to say the letter and read the word wins that letter, keep score and winner at the end can get a prize. I think it was a penny when I was a kid...basically just the glory of winning). 

Yes, this is typically a food blog but this is a busy time of year for traveling, family and outdoor fun. Make it special and educational for your children. And of course I am going to give you some food advice!  

Car snacks! Yummy and fun! Eating in the car is a great way to pass the time while on the way to Grandma's house. But be sure to eat only if you are hungry. Some great, crunchy, light foods to eat in the car are celery and carrot sticks, cheese sticks and some BBL bars! Also, almond milk protein shakes are great too. They are easy to drink and have tons of protein to help keep you fuller longer. Just be sure to sip slowly and take your time. After all, on long car rides time is on your side. So laugh, love and enjoy each other! Happy July friends! I hope the summer has been treating you well! 

Summer's Beauty!

Hello my beautiful, strong friend!

Welcome to summer's long, HOT days, hammocks, flip flops, sundresses, tank tops and hopefully family vacations. Just remember that eating healthy can be just as convenient, quick and easy if you are prepared. 

Spend just a few moments each night planning the next day and preparing your cut up fresh veggies (join a CSA!), writing down your meal ideas and you will be rewarded with the extra time and energy needed to play tag with your kids or throw a football along the water's edge. 

Remember to add power foods every day! You know my love for chia seeds and here are 2 different ways to incorporate them into your day:

Frozen banana chia slices

Just slice a frozen banana, add a dollop of natural almond butter (Only ingredient should be Almonds), and sprinkle with chia seeds (1 Tablespoon total). My kids love eating this frozen treat with toothpicks. 

Ch-offee protein smoothie!

Just blend the above ingredients for a power packed, energy pumping, quick breakfast! 

1 serving of chocolate protein powder (About Time is my favorite but I only had this kind for my example)

1/3 C coffee concentrate (or 1/2 cup strongly brewed and cooled coffee)

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 Tablespoon chia seeds

1 Tablespoon natural almond butter

Blend all ingredients. Add ice if you prefer a thicker shake. Enjoy every smooth, powerful sip as you slowly drink!!!!!

Take a few moments every day to close your eyes and listen to the life all around you. Birds, bugs, increased airplane travel, children laughing, splashing, lawn mowers humming....all tell tale signs that summer is here. Enjoy each moment. Now that is a recipe we can ALL follow!

Maureen LOVES my duck eggs!!!!

My awesome, amazing, gorgeous, beautiful friend Maureen LOVES my dinner! Score for BBL! Yee Haw!!!!!

Use Your Noodle!

What did the paperclip say to the magnet?

Not going to tell you until the end of this post, silly goose!

But that joke is making you use your brain and sometimes your brain is referred to as your noodle and now I want to talk about noodles! Get the connection now? Yay!

I made the best homemade spaghetti and meatballs for my family yesterday. All 3 of my kids wanted seconds....score for Mama! I definitely wanted seconds too but opted to have a side salad instead of a second helping of spaghetti. 

The noodles were not noodles at all though. There. I said it. To be perfectly clear what I mean is that the noodles were not pasta. They were actually zucchini squash cut by my spiral slicer!

What an amazing invention! The spiral slicer! It helps me make noodles out of any vegetable and chips and fries out of nature's very own candy vegetable...... the versatile sweet potato!

Haha! You just had to see Bobby. He finds a way to get into almost every picture I take. Good, sweet boy, Bobby. And here are just 3 zucchinis noodles cut up by my spiral slicer. Enough noodles for all 4 of us!

Spiral slicing vegetables is a fabulous way to get your kids involved in making dinner. All you do is stick the veggie onto the handle part, hold the machine firmly and start turning the handle. The handle turning is what my kids like the most. But if I'm perfectly honest with myself I find it quite entertaining and soothing too. Ahhh, the simple pleasures in life that float my boat. 

So, back to the awesome meal. The kiddos and I just spiral sliced the noodles (smallest choice of spiral). Then we made a quick sauce, added turkey meatballs which were a breeze to create (just lean ground turkey, basil, italian seasoning, nutritional yeast, ground flaxseeds, sea salt, pepper all rolled into little balls and pan cooked with coconut oil for a few minutes on all sides.....or just buy Trader Joe's frozen turkey meatballs. They rock!). And our meal was done.

For the sauce just sauté onions (probably about 2 cups) in coconut oil until the onions are translucent, add 5 cloves of minced garlic, Trader Joe's strained tomatoes (2 cans), a can of TJ's tomato paste, basil, Italian seasoning, sea salt and cracked pepper. 

This is truly an easy, super healthy meal made in 25 minutes or so. You do have time to make healthy meals. YOU get to decide what to do with extra time in your day. Do you waste time sitting in drive through lines? If you have time to do that then you have time to prepare healthy meals for yourself and your family. 

If you don't have a spiral slicer buy one! It's a fun, easy way to make awesome vegetables even more awesome! Here is a  link to my exact slicer:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0007Y9WHQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1400822095&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40

See! Almost 3,000 people love it on Amazon. I'm not loco en la cabeza after all! 

Enjoy the awesome spaghetti and meatballs! Oh and I bet you want the answer to the joke?

Answer: "I'm attracted to you!" 

HA! What a knee slapper! Love that joke! My kids only understood the paperclip being attracted to the magnet due to magnetic force. They didn't get the cute attracted to you part. In a few years sweet children you will and I'm definitely not counting down those days. 

Thank you to my thoughtful sister, T, for my awesome spiral slicer! You know me so well!