Happy Independence Day!

   Happy Independence Day Everyone!

Pizza Salad

     My daughter made an amazing salad for my husband and I for a date night that she had planned for us. She is 10 going on 30 and so talented in the kitchen, I can only imagine what she will be doing by the time she actually turns 30! I took her salad, tweaked it a little and Pizza Salad was born. It has become a favorite around this house and it has even been enjoyed at a few of get together. I love that it only takes a few minutes to pull together and tastes amazing!


     Pizza Salad

• Green Leaf lettuce, thinly sliced
• Red Bell Pepper, finely diced
• Black Olives, chopped
• Lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Organic No Salt Seasoning (I get mine from Costco) or pizza seasoning
• Olive Oil

Mix together no salt seasoning and olive oil, set aside. Mix together remaining ingredients. Pour olive oil mixture over salad and mix well, until everything is fully coated. Serve immediately.




Words of inspiration:

 

Wild Grass Juice

     Have you ever had wheatgrass juice? The health benefits of it are legendary. But what about the grass growing outside in your yard or does it have to be grass grown from wheat seeds? These are the questions that I asked myself one day. I had received so many emails about wild edibles but I had never thought about juicing wild grass. It seemed too simple, right? Wrong. Once I started searching the internet about juicing wild grass I thought, "I can do that!" Did I mention that I had just started soaking wheat berries to grow my very first batch of wheatgrass? Well, I had.


     The next morning I went out into my yard with a pair of scissors and filled up a large bowl full of grass. I was very grateful that my husband had not had time to mow just yet, he has several acres to mow and uses a push mower, and that the grass was nice and tall. The grass at the fence line was the tallest and filled the bowl up the fastest.


     I had never had wheatgrass juice before and I did not know what exactly to expect. It was strong and not very yummy but I was not too dismayed. When I added 4-8oz. of water to 1oz. wild grass juice it was so yummy! To me it tasted similar to chocolate milk. Not everyone in my house feels the same way about this yummy juice as I do but that is ok. I believe that when it comes to healthy foods that we are drawn to what our bodies need. For example, my oldest child thrives on beets but for me they are just ok. The Bible says: I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. Psalms 139:14. Praise the Lord for making me just like He did!



 Words of Inspiration:

What Am I Really Eating?

     I am back again! I know that it frustrating when a blog that you like stops having posts and I want to apologize for that. Food is something that I have a problem with or to be more accurate I am addicted to food. This makes it very hard for me to stay on the eating plan that I know is best for me. I feel like a failure every time that I fall off the wagon and eat food that gives me, for lack of a better word, a high. I get tense, irritable, unhappy and cranky. Then I eat the food that I am so very addicted to and I relax, get happy and I feel almost as if I have had a glass of wine. I cycle begins again. Why do certain foods affect me this way?

 

     I recently discovered a book that answers a lot of my questions called The End of Overeating by David A. Kessler, MD. He explains why the combination of fat, sugar and salt is highly addictive, as addictive as cocaine in fact. I did not realize all of the foods that were sabotaging me! Now I understand why I can never have just one bite of these foods without losing all control.

     I have learned that every time I fall off of the wagon I learn something else that helps me in journey and in my life. Therefore, I will not be bitter about another set back but instead I will be grateful for another lesson learned and for being wiser now than I was before. I thank God for continuing to teach me and for never giving up on me!

 

     So, here I am, starting back on my journey but with more knowledge now than I had before. I have learned that I don't really realize what all I am eating or how much I am eating, so I am starting to keep a food journal. To count my calorie intake, which is something that I need right now, to monitor how much water I am drinking, how much I am exercising and whither I am remembering to do my colon cleanse. I know that this is a lot to start all at once but that is how I am, an all or nothing kind of girl. I am not saying that this is what everyone should do, I am just sharing the story of my journey with you. 

 

     Here is a recipe for a low calorie, high nutrient dressing that you can enjoy without guilt. It has a strong flavor but that is what I was in the mood for last night. I enjoyed it over shredded lettuce, shredded cabbage and wakame. It made for a low calorie, high nutrient and high flavor supper. What is your favorite dressing that you have made low calorie?

 

Sesame Ginger Dressing

Ingredients:

1 clove garlic
2 Tbs. fresh ginger root of 2 thumb sized pieces
1 carrot
2 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. sesame seeds
1 t. dijon mustard
1 cup water

 

 

Blend everything together in a high speed blender. Makes 8 3-Tbs. servings

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 8
• Amount Per Serving3 Tbs.
• Calories: 17.5

• Total Fat: 0.6 g
• Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
• Sodium: 251.9 mg
• Total Carbs: 2.5 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0.6 g
• Protein: 0.7 g

View full nutritional breakdown of Sesame Ginger Dressing calories by ingredient at http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp.

 

 

Marinated Mushrooms

     Have you ever had marinated mushrooms? If not, then let me tell you that they are super yummy! I have made them before to take to get togethers and such but having switched to a raw food diet I thought that marinated mushroom happiness was a thing of the past. As I have learned while researching recipes for other raw food recipes, there is a way to turn almost any cooked dish into a raw dish. To my delight marinated mushrooms was no exception.


     These mushrooms are super easy to make and totally yummy. I hope that you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! What is one of your favorite raw food appetizers?





Marinated Mushrooms



6-8 c. Cremini mushrooms
 
Marinated in:
   Soy sauce
   Toasted sesame seed oil
   Olive oil and/or water
   Ginger, optional  
   Garlic, optional
 
Marinate for 1-3 days.
 

Filling for 6-8 c. mushrooms
   1-1 ½ c. soaked sunflower seeds
   1-1 ½ c. soaked almonds
   ¼ - ½ c. parsley, fresh or dried
   2-4 T. tarragon, fresh or dried
   1-2 T. thyme, fresh or dried
   1 clove garlic
    Juice of ½ of a lemon
   1 – 1 ½ zucchini
   ½ - ¾ c. of the marinated mushrooms 


 Blend all of the stuffing ingredients in a food processor until blended well. Fill the mushrooms with the filling and serve immediately. Enjoy!






Words of inspiration:
 

 

 

Telling Pre Diabeties Goodbye!

     Every year I have to get my blood work checked, cholesterol and such. This year not only was my HDL up to almost where it should be, it had been low, but my blood sugar was 85! A couple of years ago my doctor told me that I was pre diabetic, so to see that my blood sugar is right where it should be without any medicine is so exciting. Woohoo! I eat lots of fruit and moderate amounts of dried fruit and dates. I eat very little processed sugar, like honey and maple syrup, and try to completely avoid white sugar.


     No one can tell me that changing what you eat can not change your life, because I know first hand that it can. Praise the Lord! Has food changed your life? If so, how has it changed it? What foods have changed it the most?




Words of Inspiration:

Learning To Listen

     I had a rough week last week and I am still trying to recover from it. I learned a year and a half ago how to listen to my body but whenever it is bogged down with bad food, stress or whatever I find that I go right back to not being able to hear what it is saying again. This is a place that I really do not like to be. Every time it is a struggle to empty my body of whatever has it blocked so that I can again hear its quite voice. When I am able to hear that voice I take it for granted and when I can no longer hear it I wonder how I could ever have taken it for granted.



     I wonder if God keeps allowing me to repeat this same cycle until I finally learn to appreciate all of the wonderful gifts that he has given me and not to ever take them for granted. It is so hard to get back on track when you feel so very bad and can hardly hear that voice that God gave you to guide you.


     I am truly in awe of how God made us. He gave us a spirit to connect with His precious Holy Spirit to guide us and commune with Him. How amazing is that? We are definitely fearfully and wonderfully made. God is so awesome! Thank you Lord for making me and for making me to connect in such a wonderful way with you.


     For know I will just go over this path again and try to not forget the lessons that I am learning this time. I pray that God helps me to remember these lessons, that I will not need to go through this "class" again and that I will pass the test this next time.

Words of inspiration:

Let's Hear It For Smoothies!

     Lately I have been trying to eat mostly fruits and veggies. You would think that eating raw would mean that that was almost all you be eating anyway but that is not necessarily true. I have eaten 99% raw most days and still felt poorly because I was eating too many nuts, seeds and dried fruits. These foods are wonderful and wonderful for you but they should make up very little of your diet, especially if you are trying to lose weight.


     I have been making a lot of smoothies lately and it has really helped. They are fast, fill me up and get me through my morning. By lunch time I am ready to fix a fast and easy salad or crackers and veggies. I can really tell a difference on the days that I have crackers. I love them and tend to eat too many of them and then end up feeling a little sluggish later in the day. On the days that I stick almost totally to fruits and veggies I have more energy. I am really working on only having a few crackers with my salad or veggies, and I am better about that than I used to be, but it is something that I have to be constantly on guard about.


     What helps you in your day and what is your biggest challenge? Enjoy your smoothie!





Words of inspiration:

    

Cheesy Chili Kale Chips

    
     I just made my fist, second and soon to be third batches of Cheesy Chili Kale Chips. Yummy! Amber Shea Crawley has a cookbook out called Practically Raw that I really like and highly recommend. She has a second cookbook coming out soon called Practically Raw Desserts that can hardly wait to get. Amber has an entire chapter on kale chips, how awesome is that! Her recipe for Cheesy Chili Kale Chips is amazing. I see a lot of kale chips in my future.


     Have you seen the raw kale chips at the health food store? I am glad to see raw foods hitting the shelves of the health food store but I definitely not afford what they are charging. The raw kale chips are $8 to $10 a package, a very small package at that, and at that cost I could make 5 to 10 times as much myself. I know that dehydrates are pricey but they really do pay for themselves if you use them.


     I used to cook all the time but since I have been preparing mostly raw foods I have really gotten out of the habit. As a result of this the last few times that I have cooked something I have ended up burning it. Maybe God is trying to tell me that I should stick to raw foods of maybe I have just gotten spoiled to the fact that I don't have to wait for anything to cook to eat it or if it's something like kale chips I can just stick it in the dehydrator and forget about it. These are a couple of many great things about eating raw.


     I would love to give you her recipe but I do not have permission. So until you get your hands on her book yourself here is a link to her website and her recipe for Pizza Kale Chips. I am going to be making them very soon! Let me know what you think about them or what your favorite kale chip recipe is. Hope you all a very blessed and kale filled day! : )



        







Words of inspiration:

Getting Back on Track!

      Sorry it has been so long since I have posted but I am still trying to get back on track with both my health and my eating. I still have days where I feel bad, and it is harder to eat well on those days, but at least I feel better than I was feeling. I ate very badly over the holidays and gained quite a few pounds, several of those pounds seem to not want to leave again. It is very frustrating how quickly you can gain weight but how very long it takes to get those same pounds to come back off!


     I am not trying to improve my eating only to lose weight, although that is why I started looking into eating healthy to begin with. : ) It is funny how you start doing something for one reason and end up doing it for a totally different reason. That is kind of how my whole relationship with food has been. My journey with food has been long and exhausting, not that I would change anything, but it has not been easy. Of course I am someone that really appreciates those things that I have really had to work for. Maybe that is why this has been so difficult .


      I have come to realize that I am addicted to food. I have said before that it was like I was addicted or something but not until now did I realize just how true that statement was. Whenever I eat certain foods, trigger foods, it is like I lose all control. I just can't seem to stop eating. I can understand why it so hard for a drug addict, alcoholic or any other addict to give up their addiction. I know that all addictions are different but there is a similarity when them, too. Having A piece of cake for me is like an alcoholic have A drink. I know this and yet I keep on doing it!


     I feel like I stick out everywhere that I go, I am always different from everyone else. This is nothing new to me, as I have always been different, but food is the one area where I was not different. Until now that is. There are temptation every where I go and what seems to be the hardest is the fact that everyone says that is ok to have (fill in the blank), that it is just (fill in the blank) and that they eat like this and are perfectly healthy.


     Now I am not trying to get you to change the way that you eat but why do you insist on explaining to me why I am wrong for eating the way that I do? It really hurts that I have to deal with this with christian friends and family. I know that I probably sound bitter but I am really more sad than anything. I can say that this has changed the way I treat other people and for that I am truly grateful. I am going to start posting more about what I am eating now and even a few recipes, although I am really bad about writing down amounts, and I look forward to reading your comments.



Words of inspiration:

What Do You Eat When You Are Sick?

     I have been sick lately and it has made me wonder what exactly I should be eating while being sick. What do you eat when you are sick? I have been craving the foods that are good for me but I have also been craving the kinds of foods that I have known as comfort foods up until now. I really want a good salad but then I want something with sugar and maybe chocolate in it. Salad = healing: Sugar = sick. You would think that that would be enough to keep me on the straight and narrow but it is not.

    
     Why do I always go back to the sugar and chocolate? I know that I feel worse after eating it and yet it still remains a constant struggle for me. Food is an addiction for me. I get my "highs" from sugar, carbs and the caffeine in chocolate. But like any addict I always feel worse afterwards and regret having used my drug of choice. Are you addicted to any foods? How do you combat your urges?


     I have faith that God will get me through this. I have faith that He will break the bonds of my addiction. I pray that you may have this faith also.



Words of inspiration: