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: