Cheers to a happy gut!

Ages. It's been ages since I last blogged. Ages. 

I've always loved to write; it's just finding the time to do it for the public. It's been a year of growth. In fact, that's been my word for this year. GROW. I'm still reeling in all the areas to which this word applies and has applied but here's just one...

If you know me, you know I'm a 'natural granola' gal who's always learning & seeking new ways to heal the body naturally. I was pretty much born low maintenance with very little to bring me joy & happiness. As long as I have my water, flavored sparkling or plain soda water, these are my go to, anywhere I go. Recently a new drink came out called Poppi. It has an apple cider vinegar base with prebiotics but before you cringe, (if you don't like ACV, hear me out!) ACV has a ton of natural remedies to help heal the body, inside & out. This particular mom came up with the idea wanted to help restore her families gut flora (or stomach acid) and designed this 'sparkling juice,' if you will for the masses! IT TASTES LIKE SODA with no funky after tastes!!!! I decided to buy a case at a local warehouse and before I knew it, every single can was GONE. I had not been the one drinking them! I was in shock because I figured there's no way my family will consume ACV drinks. When I bring it out at the sign of a cold or flu, they gag & would rather any other remedy.

We've never been a soda buying family so when my guys noticed something new other than my waters, they were quick to pop a top. Before I knew it, I was having the conversation of asking "who was downing these Poppi's that I had in the outside fridge?" I even tried to explain they were APPLE CIDER VINEGAR based and they couldn't believe it. Nor did it deter them from finishing off the entire case! 

Poppi has recently added other stores to their distribution list and I went out today looking but the shelves were empty. This is where Amazon is handy and can ship to your front door. Click the link below and try them for yourselves. If you do, shoot me a message and let me know what your taste buds think! 

Happy Healing! -B 

 

Retrospect Rewind

Today is June 24, 2020. This year is only half over and yet it feels like the marathon of all years. This will definitely be one to go down in history, for every family I'm sure. I'm doing my best to focus on the positives around me because the enemy could (and sadly has) devour anyone's spirit in a second with all that is playing out in the world today.  

I can hardly believe it's been six years since I last wrote on this blog. So much has happened and played out that I'm tapping my nails at where to even begin. 

The Riley's Ride started off as a blog documenting our family's journey so that we would have something to look back on. I also have a love for writing so it was a great outlet for me in that way. Since 2014, we gained Riddick, a male black lab puppy, lost him to kidney failure as ironic as that is with the Mr.'s health issues, gained Miss Letty Riggins, a female black lab puppy who now lays at my feet as I type. She is almost six now and has brought me more joy in my life than I knew possible. I know deep in my heart that she is a gift from God after losing Riddick. 

                                      

                            (This is Miss Letty)

Riddick was our family's first dog. It took many years convincing the Mr. that we 'needed' one. We surprised our son getting off the bus in 3rd grade with him and we even caught that on video. Riddick was only with us for four short months. I was in a physical pain that I had never felt before. My heart was bro-ken. The Mr. was in Norway so I was alone to figure it out. After sorting things through, I was advised to get another one to help soften the blow this grief was causing. BEST advice truly. It led me to find Miss Letty Riggins. 

For anyone who has met Letty, she is adored. She is calm, obedient & super smart as I continue to teach her new tricks still. The Mr. calls her my shadow as she follows me everywhere. She smiles almost as if it's on purpose. She's my shot-gun rider and would rather go with me than be left behind. However, at times, in our heat, she understands the word "stay" and does very well at home alone. She is inside with us, sleeps with my son and doesn't seem like the average dog. We have an unspoken language. (Ohhh if she could only talk!) Her eyes tend to communicate with me as if I know exactly what she's saying. In the morning, she'll wait for me to arise before coming out of my son's room. If the Mr. is up before me, it won't matter. I don't know if she knows by scent or how but I'm fascinated nonetheless. During this whole quarantine season, we have a morning ritual of going to play and then for a walk. If I'm having a lazy morning, she'll come to me, put her face in my lap and look at me as if to say, "I know you know what time it is. Grab your shoes and let's go." I guess you could say she's a great accountability partner too. 

 

There are so many other rituals that Miss Letty has too. She knows when it's time for my son to get home from school because she'll go to the window and watch, just waiting for the big yellow bus to arrive. 

At night before we go to bed, when 8pm rolls around, she'll once again come to me, putting her face in my lap or on the bed beside me with her subtle reminder to brush her teeth. It's hilariously precious.  

A few years ago, I had her teeth cleaned. I really hated seeing her put under so when the vet told me that it was possible to train a dog to remind you to brush, I was all ears. He said that he'd seen it with another family who had a St. Bernard. He said, "At the same time each evening, simply sit calmly on the floor with a dog's toothbrush and dog's toothpaste, and brush uppers and lowers. Then give the dog an enzyme chew. They will look forward to that chew. It will help remove any plaque left on their teeth." Sure enough, I tried what he said and in no time at all, Letty was coming to me nightly for her teeth to be cleaned. That was almost four years ago. 

Needless to say, the last five plus years have been filled with more knowledge about natural medicine, which I'm extremely passionate about, more education about nutrition, lifestyle diet changes, and our immune boosting dog. Yes, I even heard it the other day. Having a dog can boost your immune system. I'm so thankful for Miss Letty Riggins. I knew years ago that living life in good health would be living a wealthy life. Today, I still agree.      

Crest toothpaste embeds plastic in your gums

Allow me to step on my soapbox for this post.

I visited my favorite dentist today and while cleaning my gums, my hygienist asked me what kind of toothpaste I used. I happily replied the au naturel, fluoride FREE doTERRA toothpaste. She said that was one of the best out there and then continued to tell me about the article on Crest toothpaste that just came out. The just of the media outbreak is below:

Crest toothpaste embeds plastic in our gums

Unfortunately, upon returning home, I did find one of the tubes listed with plastic, in our bathroom being used by my better half. However, in order for him to continue to be my better half, I was happy to give it to the trash man, in the trash. I realize that we all have our own journeys to travel in life. It is because of my husband's health issues, that I've absorbed a ton of information on healthier living. We've made a lot of changes; I've decided to alter more drastically. I just feel better. Knowledge has empowered me to make better choices, for me and my family. Fluoride FREE toothpaste is something I'm still trying to convince my husband on but for now, Crest is no longer welcome in our home. After all, I was one again cavity free.

What's in your toothpaste?

Happy Spring Babies!!!

It's spring time and there seems to be babies everywhere! Last night, I stayed the night with a friend of mine who just had twin boys. Her husband was on shift at the fire station so I was honored and blessed to help out. After all, my own son is eight years-old now and my sleep has surely caught up.

One thing my friend and I tried to remember come this morning, was what time did we wake up to feed these little guys throughout the night. She was way better than I but with how fast my night flew by, it was hard to remember.  I do remember keeping a log years ago so that I could remember later on.

So tomorrow I head to the dentist where my dental hygienist is due next month with her first: IT'S A GIRL!  With little sleep and no motivation to run out, surprisingly my (very little) creative juices came through. (Thank you Pinterest for the flow.)

After deciding to make one myself, here is what I came up with.

 

I found an old wood frame that was no longer being used which I then painted and sanded - just a bit. Then I typed up my rendition of this brilliant idea. I reached into the school supplies tub for a brand new dry erase pen which I velcro'd onto the frame. Then I wrapped it.

I didn't have any baby wrapping paper but I have plenty of grocery bags, just for this reason. I used to stamp back in the day and so they were pulled out. I found some ribbon, just begging to be used also and BAM! There ya have it. Simple. From the heart. Practical. I hope she likes it. Happy Spring babies!

 



God's good graces

It seems with each long lapse of time that goes by and I don't blog, I wonder where the time goes. Even just in a conversation this morning with little man, he was commented how fast time flies, AND HE'S ONLY SEVEN!

Shortly after my husband was healed and our ride in life was really seeing blue skies, I heard the Holy Spirit say to me one day, "Hold on. He's not quite finished." It helped me to take a precautionary step back & just enjoy the present because I wasn't for sure when the blue skies would darken again.

Well last spring in April, my husband was working off the coast of West Africa when his company RAN OUT OF BOTTLED WATER. He returned home on his normal rotation in May & revealed this jaw dropping news to me.

Ok side bar, we as Americans truly are spoiled and have no idea how much. I was going off like a spoiled, entitled American about how these guys NEED water to work out there, in those conditions and what seems to be the problem. I had a really hard time wrapping my mind around how this could have happened. Then my husband reminded me, "It's Africa."

He was not feeling well all of May while he was home and we knew then that the water outage that was replaced with SODA- of all things, was part of his fatigue. Well, he returned to W. Africa at the end of May only to have his conditions worsen. By June 2nd, he had been helicopter'd off, to an African hospital, where they found kidney infection & he was trying to pass some stones.......again.

When my love & I met almost 12 years ago, he was ill then. We just hadn't quite pin-pointed with what. We knew kidney stones & infections were diagnosed but they soon became an annual family member (only he was the one giving birth.) Then, annual became bi-annual & then quarterly, then monthly.

No doctors could ever seem to reveal WHY my husband is the champ at producing & delivering these stones, until now, and she's not even a medical doctor. (More on Lula later)  If I was a betting gal, we could have collected three digits of stones by now. So far this summer, he had 16 removed & passed 3.

Which leads me to now, reflecting on our only year, 2012 -which also adds up to our families lucky number five, where we had NO...I repeat NO health concerns. Oh how heavenly it really was. We were able to dream and guide on God's grace. We were tremendously blessed by Him and His favor towards us. He was able to lift us out of a decade of funk!  Everyday was a new gift waiting to be unwrapped. (Maybe that's where my time went!)

We have definitely come a long, long way from where we once were, but as time continues to unravel new concepts & tools to better understanding health, I'm afraid we still have a long way to go.

A new season, but better view.

Fall is here and my heart is smiling. A year ago, my heart was forecasting  the future as a widow,single mother, and dreading a funeral within reach. Now, health in our family has been restored and I have never been so grateful for the daily, small things in my life. My husband and son, below, are able to do father/son things and as I sit back and soak it all in, my heart is praising Jesus for His restoration and renewal. He says He makes ALL things new and this phrase alone brings tears to my eyes...because I believe first hand, 

it's true.  

This was the first year that D played flag football. At first, he was very timid and wasn't quite sure of the concept as it is very different from soccer. As soon as his daddy came in from work and showed up at the game, he was scoring touchdowns that had us all on our feet! So fun!

Today, D is learning a new sport and a new love for football, that these two share deeply. My husband has a new lease on life and able to travel the world through his work.  

I continue to learn more and more about healing naturally and I have never been so happy in my life. 

Thanks to Marna- Paleo Pumpkin Muffins

So fall is in the air; I can feel it!!! A childhood friend used to adore the fall season. It always reminds me of her but I also appreciate the use of the oven again, cozy pumpkin smells and the fall foliage getting ready with colder days. 

A friend stopped by a couple weeks back and we got to talking about health and nutrition. Surprise, surprise- I KNOW! But alas, I continue to learn and appreciate the different perspectives on food that align for all one purpose; to feel and arrive at optimum health. 

I did a little study of my own after talking with her and consumed some yogurt and air popped butter popcorn one night. The next day, I did NOT feel so hot. I ached and was sore all over. As I reflected back on what I ate the night before, I was SOLD on giving PALEO a shot.  

It's been two weeks and I've not only naturally dropped 4 more pounds (eliminating grains, legumes, cheese, yogurt and BUTTER!) but when I ache in the morning, I know it's my muscles that were worked the day prior and not due to food consumption. With this post, I hereby stand and eat...my...words!  Butter, I am afraid you are on hiatus for now.  

Which all leads me back to this blog that I have been following for awhile but now more than before! 

Living Carroll happens to be a girl who I went to school with growing up and it's her story with her family. One day, she posted these muffins where her kiddos thought they were cupcakes! WHA? 

After eating all natural foods for awhile now, the taste buds really change and are more sensitive to sugar. With our windows open all day today and our A/C finally off, I was ready to give these treats a bake!   

THANK YOU MARNA!!!! Not only does my house smell like fall but my waistline has not suffered from this savored treat. 

This recipe is based on the recipe found here.

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups almond flour
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup Raw honey or Coconut Nectar
• 2 tsp almond butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350℉.
Mix all ingredients and pour evenly into tins.

Coat muffin tins with coconut oil (or use paper muffin cups and add 1/2 tsp melted coconut oil to batter).     (I used the bite size muffin tin and put in for 10 minutes)

Bake reg. muffins for 25 minutes on the middle rack.

With my pumpkin patch going crazy, I'm excited to have fresh pumpkins to work with! 

Happy baking people! and Welcome fall! 

Natural Imperfections

With my husband working in Africa, my mom and I, along with the lil man decided to take a road trip back to my roots in Washington state. It had been three years since I had been back and I was ready to beat this heat and hit the road. Since my mom is getting older and the lil man is ansey, we decided it would be best to stop halfway and stay the night.

So we pulled off into this little farming community and right next to our motel was a produce stand. When picking out our watermelons, I asked the girl, "How do I know a good melon?" She replied, "There's three things to look for: 

#1. When you knock on it, you want to hear a good solid 'THUD.' (...okay...?)

#2. When you look at the where the stem was, it should be brown when ripe.

#3. When you see these markings (below) it means a bee smelled the sweet fruit. As the bee realized it could NOT get to the sweet nectar, it tried to sting it!"  

HA! Who knew????  A fun tidbit learned this summer! 

She said a lot of times, people overlook these markings as something BAD, imperfect or wrong with the melons. Quite the contrary!

Boy, am I glad I asked how to pick one out because this melon was definitely a winner! Not only was it bright RED inside, SUPER SWEET but it was literally smiling at me when I cut it open. 

Almost as if it had a personality and laughing at the bee who couldn't get what it wanted. 

LUCKY ME! 

So with all of this watermelon, I made Watermelon Popsicles from Pinterest. 

Truly one of my favorites but as you can see below, the boys agree! 

Here's the recipe! 

Watermelon Frosty
serves 2

2 1/4 cups frozen watermelon cubes
1/2+ cup water
2 Tbsp real maple syrup
1 large lemon, squeezed (lime juice also works very well! use 2 limes)
1 fresh banana

Blending Tip! The best way to blend up this frosty is in a Vitamix - it really frosts up that thick frozen watermelon!

You can drink after blending for a refreshing cooler or fill up containers & freeze for popsicles later! 

Happy Melon picking! 

Morning insprirations

So a few weeks back, I went to the Farmer's Market and saw a booth where this lady had made her own scrubs. They were pretty fabulous because of her ingredients. BUT I got to thinking, that I could probably save the $25 and MAKE MY OWN! 

After speaking with Lexi, the neighbor girl a couple weeks ago, she inspired me with only a few ingredients. 

• Brown Sugar 
• doTERRA Wild Orange Essential Oil (a few drops)
• and I decided to add coconut oil (of course!) 

No measuring, just gut. Our climate here is extremely dry and being in the sun, I've had chapped lips for awhile now. I woke up this morning, tried this scrub on my lips and was impressed! NO toxic chemicals!! And I know exactly what is in it!  

In the past, I have used "Look Ma New Hands" from Bath & Body Works and although I like the product, I  DON'T appreciate not knowing all what I cannot pronounce. What are the effects on my body after it seeps into my skin? SO thus the doTERRA Wild Orange Essential Oil. Using this on my hands this morning was awesome!  

Now go and find your inspirations for the day. God Speed- 

Homemade Coconut Butter

A few months back a friend of mine introduced me to coconut butter. My jaw about hit the floor. A little side note: I LOVE BUTTER. We go waaaaay back to my years of single digits and "we'll never divorce." I was never a mayo kid; it was always butter. But coconut butter? Really? There's sucha thing?

 With a lot of buzz lately on how it's made, I decided to try it myself. Afterall, look at the cost difference here: $7 plus for 8 oz compared to $3 plus for 12 oz of Bob's Red Mill shredded unsweetened coconut. I heard the size of shred matters. The smaller, the better. Also, after I had made this, I had learned that researching how the coconut is dried can be important when it comes to nutrients, etc. I'm not sure at what temperature Bob dries his coconut since other brands can be more expensive...I see a possible future inquiry to him. 

 I slowly started out with a small amount of shredded coconut in my Vitamix until the entire package was in there. Yes, it's true. It took about 15 minutes of blending but I would turn it off and stir along with the use of my tamper while blending. Although I could have gone a little bit longer, I was pleasantly surprised at how easy this was.

I am finding these days, that when I get overwhelmed about trying out new things, it's best to just dive in for the try in order to put another recipe in the books. What about you? Have you tried making coconut butter? I'm curious what kind you have tried and how did it turn out?

Sushi Mama!

A couple years back in our small group, a friend said she made her family sushi & California rolls at home. I remember feeling so overwhelmed at the thought and having no clue on how to even start that process. The lil guy and I in the past have enjoyed the occasional 'sushi' bar at the store but it's always been 'crab', spring rolls or California rolls. Never really raw fish. Well, one day I was at Costco and noticed the nori on the end of an aisle and it was considerably cheaper than the health food store. After searching the ingredients and debating for longer than the normal grab, it ended up in my basket.

After weeks of sitting in the pantry, a creative juice finally flowed and here is our result: dampened nori, quinoa, shrimp, raw bell pepper & carrot and avocado to top it off.

(My photography classes were back in high school so don't judge my skills or lack thereof.) This is the lil guy's plate of seconds! Not only did he love these, but after looking at the ingredients of the store's 'sushi' ingredients, there are so many, too many names to pronounce and the processed ginger even has red dye! Sufferin' suckatash.....sucha downer.

These were by no means...perfect. However, I am no longer overwhelmed by my friend's statement of her making her own at home. On the contrary, I realized that I too, am capable....sorta.

An added bonus here: our lil guy asked to try the nori plain and dry....he LOVES them and eats them like chips!  Who knew?

Granola Girl

Growing up in a small town in Washington, I was a country girl, low maintenance, no make-up and some even called me "Granola Girl."  Then, I'd just smile and considered the comment for being 'earthy' or 'natural.' Today, I reflect back and seem to appreciate it even more.

Enough of history for now...making homemade granola IS SO EASY!!! and it makes the house smell amazing. About a year ago, I discovered some fun granola made through a Co-op here but then when I looked at the price, it was $10 for 2lbs....ummmm whoa! Then I saw on Food Network, the Neeley's were making their own. (Love the rest stops)  So I ventured to make my own. I couldn't keep it stocked as my husband was devouring it as fast as I could make it. Back then he was very ill & he wouldn't eat much so I thought it was a good thing that he had found something he liked. Today I know that the oils used are extremely important and canola oil (what the Neeley's used) is no longer in my pantry. For high temps, I use coconut oil or almond oil. Extra Virgin Olive Oil goes rancid after it hits around 170'F so I mainly use that for salads, etc.

Okay so this granola was inspired by Fake Ginger BUT I substituted the infamous coconut oil for the vegetable oil. (I like to think of our hearts getting healthy fats instead of artery clogging fats these days.) I did NOT stick to her recipe completely as I added dried apricots, dried cherries, dried coconut and craisins.  I used pecans, almonds and chia seeds but omitted sunflower and sesame seeds. Sometimes I have personally found that sunflower seeds can overpower a recipe. The added applesauce was a twist that I had never thought of for added sweetness. I also substituted in sucanat for the brown sugar. I apologize for the sticklers on measuring; I didn't really measure much here. It seems more free-spirited that way AND it still turns out amazing!

So returning to my roots, earthy and natural that is, this one's for you. A little salty, a little sweet and a whole 'lotta' natural! Spread those pantry doors open wide, dive in and mix it up! I promise being "granola" is a fun journey.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie!

I decided after finding Chocolate Covered Katie yesterday, it was time to put my sweet tooth to rest. With all of these graduations going on and me passing up cookies and cake, I was excited to dive right into something healthy without any guilt! MAN O MAN does this cookie hit the spot! Thank you CCK!

Here is her recipe for the giant chocolate chip cookie cake

• 1/2 cup quick oats
• 2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce (So fun using homemade!)
• 1 can white beans or garbanzos (drained and rinsed) (250g)
• 1.5 tbsp canola oil  (here is where I substituted in coconut oil) 
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cups brown sugar (You can try adding less, (I did a lil less)  if you’re used to healthy desserts. Also, white sugar will work if you don’t have brown, but brown is recommended for the best taste. I can’t personally vouch for the results, but some commenters have reported success with xylitol, if you want it sugar-free.)
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Blend everything (except the chips) very well in a food processor. Mix in chips, and pour into an oiled pan. Cook at 350 F for around 20 minutes. Let stand at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan.

My little guy and I truly enjoyed this treat. He even wanted more! It's hard to believe there is NO flour in this recipe. Truly amazing.

Spring Cleaning

To re-organize the pantry has been on my  to do list for months now. I had already cleaned out a lot of the old junk, ie. trans fat, sugars, processed boxes etc. but I really wanted to clean and switch plastics to glass too.  With each passing day, I would see things that no longer had a place in our life. It was liberating to get this done.     

Organizing always seems to be a work in progress but this was where I stopped at 11pm last night. 

Honestly, a highlight for me now in my pantry is there's a place for my recipe books and I can walk in it! 

RAW crackers

I had a friend call me and say they tried to make RAW crackers and that I needed to try them. (Thanks Vic & Grace!) So I decided to toss in some pecans, almonds, green pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, soaked flax seeds and soaked chia seeds with a lil bit of the water they were soaking in. Also a dash of sea salt.  (Sorry, I don't measure. It's more fun that way.)

I was really surprised to find out how oily this mixture turned out to be. 

I left them in the dehydrator for about 30 hours or so checking them and rotating the tray levels. 

 I could continue to leave them for a bit longer to be crunchier and add a little bit more sea salt and other seasonings. (Vic loves them spicy!) Overall, these are moist (naturally oily) and knowing that this snack is a protein & fiber filled OMEGA punch~ that is GLUTEN FREE is an awesome experiment! I say go for it!  

Kombucha Wha?

I was reading about five weeks ago on www.realfoodfreaks.com about Kombucha tea. I was instantly intrigued but totally clueless. This is a perfect example of a "rest stop" as I call them where I feel like God honors my desire to know more and understand more so He opens up a journey to do just that!

Last week, I was at the health food store right here in town and it's a very small town! The owner there told me about a lady here in town who makes her own Kombucha and sells it for $12 a gallon.

(These 16 oz. bottles in the picture, I have found at Fred Meyer's or Rosauer's for $3 each. The Grape on the left has chia seeds (mega healthy! another future post) in it and the Passionberry Bliss is my favorite so far!  But you can slightly see the enzymes on the bottom of the bottle on the right. Trust me, they are more scary in person!  DO NOT SHAKE!!! Shaking will destroy the enzymes and become less beneficial to your digestive gut. When I get to the bottom, I give it a swirl and swallow hard, picturing only the benefits going in.)

Yesterday, I met Mary, "Kombucha Mama!" The entire trip to her house was a gift. She walked me through how she makes it, dates it and how she stores it. I got to try several different kinds that she makes and was so impressed. When I originally went on the link http://store.kombuchakamp.com/ "KombuchaKamp" from realfoodfreaks above, I thought, I'll just buy and never brew; it's too overwhelming and I'm too frugal to purchase the brewing system they showed.

If I have learned anything at all on this journey thus far, it's that whenever I say "never" in my thoughts or out loud, God has a way of bringing it back around to fruition each and every time! I guess this one slipped by my conscious mind until today. Mary doesn't use the expensive brewing system that I saw previously online. Instead, she starts by boiling water, sugar, (yes sugar) and black tea. This begins the process but when the tea has sat for a day and the "Scoby" is added, it consumes the sugar and leaves behind natural enzymes & probiotics. These are natural probiotics and definitely cheaper than the ones you buy in capsules on the shelf for $40-50!!  These days, yogurts unfortunately are so processed that there are very few probiotics or live cultures left by the time we consume them. Now, my lil guy thinks Kombucha is the soda that I never use to buy!

This tea ages back far into cultures where refrigerators didn't exist and natural fermentation was considered a healthy thing. People were way more healthy! Where did that go? Oh ya, our culture & society today says carbonation belongs in soda, otherwise it's garbage. Huh?  I beg to differ! There are SO many benefits from Kombucha, I've snagged a few here:

• Liver detoxification
• Increase metabolism
• Balance internal pH
• Rebuild connective tissue
• Cancer prevention
• Relieve headaches & migraines
• Increase energy and vitality
• Reduce blood pressure
• Reduce kidney stones
• High in antioxidants & polyphenols
• Improve eye sight
• Heal eczema
• Fight candida & other yeast infections
• Reduce gray hair  (this one alone was worth a try for me!) 
• Lower glucose levels
• helps leaky gut
• aides in digestive issues

After reading up on Kombucha benefits & talking with Mary yesterday, I hardly think this ancient tea is "garbage" because of its' fermented goodness! Yes, the scoby is a bit scary but I think over time, with Mary's help, I may just try brewing it myself.  After all, my kid thinks it's soda! When something SO great for your body tastes that good, I take it as a gift from God! Kind of like the stumbling over Kombucha five weeks ago...this whole health kick in our New Year has this amazing magnetic force to unravel more hidden health secrets. I'm slowly becoming less clueless and more intrigued...and I'm lovin' it!       

Half pizza, half vegan

I found organic pizza dough through fullcircle.com Co-op this week so I decided to try it tonight. I'd definitely get the dough again. Since Dres is a huge fan of "just cheese" pizza, I decided to journey through the fridge for my half. My sauce topping is a favorite go to for me; green hummus! What else could I name it...AvoMus? (let me know on that one.)

Super Simple Hummus: 1 can of garbonzo beans aka chick peas, (I do canned because I've tried soaking these raw and then cooking them but even after a week, they were still too hard for me to enjoy) extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, 2 garlic cloves, 1 avocado and juice of a lemon & lime! Taaa Daaaa!  Green Hummus!

I also topped my side with quinoa, which I also keep pre-made in the fridge, sun-dried tomatoes (Costco) pickled asparagus, avocado, dehydrated tomatoes and pecans. I'm thinking this half could qualify for vegan...? Not that I am, but thinking it could be an overwhelming diet to tackle, I can't help but get excited when I can successfully take a recipe down for the vegan team!

I've always heard that Chicago & Italy are the pizza capitols of our planet. Maybe one day, I'll be blessed enough to visit and try the pizza there. Until then, have fun experimenting with toppings and allow your taste buds to dance to a new beat. Blessings, B

Crazy ride outside a box

All of these ingredients were tossed together tonight for a sprouted bean trio (Costco), coconut and pecan "salad" if you will.... Definitely a different concept to throwing things together but again I revert back in my mind, "What's my intent with food for this meal?" This dish is full of fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals & nutrients my body will love AND I will be fulfilled by my positive choices. I am finally realizing that food is fuel for the body; not a journal to pour my emotions into. I saw a word poster on Pinterest saying, "You are not a dog so don't reward yourself with food." Boy, did that hit home. I love how my "rest stops" always have a gift of empowerment. Jesus, I am truly blessed by you!

How does one draw emotion away from the food we consume? Well, I am finding that it's a journey and different for every soul. As I rid the toxins of my spirit, my body and mind are enjoying life truly on a different level. Heck ya better late than never!  

Recipe Ideas

Check out www.freecoconutrecipes.com for some great ideas! I love that I can now take old recipes when I used to use "WHITES" and substitute for the healthier options: 

sucanat, xylitol, real maple syrup, evaporated sugar cane juice for white sugar

coconut flour or almond flour for whole wheat or white flour

coconut oil for any other trans fat oil 

(I wonder if coconut butter could work for butter....hmmm butter and I have been the best of buds since I was six...that one may be hard to say "see ya" to...although these days, coconut oil is moving in closer) 

As far as recipes go, when it comes to making dinner, hands down most overwhelming meal for me to be creative with. So I'm learning to think outside of the box. Some days are easier than others. But for snacks and smoothies, I love throw caution to the wind and explore! Let me know if you find any keepers!    

Today's Favorite Foods

So I have been on a kick to add more protein to our diet simply because I do not consume meat on a daily basis and like fiber, protein helps fill us up so we are no longer hungry. It also helps in the muscle department but that's another post.

I discovered "pea powder protein" but then found these organic peas at Costco. I've included the Nutrition Facts to show how much fiber and protein are included in such a small amount. I've started to add these to our smoothies, also on top of my eggs in the morning, and sometimes a side at dinner. I keep them in the freezer and find them super simple to use. (I found a protein powder but go figure; the lil guy doesn't like it!)

Super nutritious! 

 HA! Bet ya never thought you'd see "fries" on here did ya? Well peeps, these are sweet potato fries baked in coconut oil with a dash of sea salt! Man o man, I love these!  So good and also super nutritious! I'd love to know what are some of your favorite foods?