Natural Ranch Dip?

So here's the deal.  I am the mom who tricked my now 5 year old into eating his vegetables by giving him Hidden Valley Ranch dip.  Even at the time when he was 2 years old and I was doing it I would cringe inside.  I had read the label...maltodextrin, buttermilk, salt, monosodium glutamate, dried garlic, dried onion, lactic acid, citric acid, spices and artificial flavors. Dried buttermilk adds the characteristic tang to the ranch dressing. (Livestrong.com).

This is what he liked?!  Kids need to eat their veggies!?  I'm a first time mom!  I want to get it right!

Well...guess what.  He just liked flavor and I figured out how to get him to eat cooked carrots (cooked in my chicken stock), asparagus, parsnips, green beans, and cucumbers.  But, I'll be honest with you...he still liked the ranch dip.

Typical spread at my baby shower.  Note the veggies and ranch dip in the back.  This was before we gave up processed food!  It makes me shudder!

No Going Back

Handsome Hubby and I didn't want to go there.  Monosodium glutamate is bad stuff!  Here's a list of known symptoms from the Mayo Clinic website:  

• Headache
• Flushing
• Sweating
• Facial pressure or tightness
• Numbness, tingling or burning in the face, neck and other areas
• Rapid, fluttering heartbeats (heart palpitations)
• Chest pain
• Nausea
• Weakness

So now what?  I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner but Pinterest helped me.  A recipe for it!  There's a little website that is fabulous called Keeper of the Home.  I stumbled on her recipe page for 17 common mixes that we use.  One of which was a guest post linking to a Ranch dip mix.  The link to her 17 mixes is above.

Eating "Real Food" and LOVIN' it.

The Rationale for Fat

So my simplified version is coming below...this is just dip for veggies.  If you can't tolerate dairy, get lactose free greek yogurt.  Or you could make it with just mayonaisse.  I would recommend making your own so you can avoid soybean oil (a common allergen and gmo).  Also, try to get a full fat sour cream or full fat yogurt.  A misconception is that we have to stay away from fat.  It's not true.  We need to stay away from fake!  Eat real foods.  The higher quality of plant based food and grass fed or free range meat you eat the more quickly you become full.  

The more quickly you become full, the fewer calories you eat.  The fewer calories you eat, the more weight you lose.  It's the QUALITY of calories that matters more than the QUANTITY.  Sure, you can't eat like a pig and not gain weight.  Food is food.  If you eat too much no matter what it is, you may have an unhealthy relationship with food.  That is something for you to examine in yourself.  We had to.  We still do.

But when companies start taking fat out of dairy, adding hormones, adding flavor enhancers, you're getting away from the way God made food.  Our bodies need a certain amount of fat.  It helps in brain memory functioning, you stay full longer, there's actually less of a chance of childhood obesity in kids who drink whole milk versus those who drink skim.

The Ranch Dip Recipe

16 oz container of full fat organic sour cream (or greek yogurt)

1 TBSP dried parsley

1 TBSP onion powder

1 TBSP garlic powder

1 tsp. sea salt

Mix above ingredients and enjoy!  That's it!  It saves you money too and you can adapt it.   Don't be locked into the sour cream either.  Try mayo.  Try hummus with this mix of spices.  Try Greek Yogurt.  To make it a dressing, add some whole milk.  Just a tablespoon at a time.  Try it out and let me know what you think!

More Sleep with Early Rising Kids

So this isn't really just our secret...my sister tipped me off to it.  You can read her blog at Just B.  She has a little guy who is an early riser like my boys.  One advantage is that he is 2 years older so she learns things and passes them onto me.  She also passes his clothes onto us but that's another story.

What we want!

Sleep is crucial to so many body functions.  It keeps you sane.  It helps you're immune system.  It helps your body heal.  It restores strength for the new day ahead.  It reduces stress. The list could go on and on.

Now if you have kids...you know sleep deprivation comes with the territory right?  My kids have not been "good" sleepers when they were younger.  My oldest had allergy issues that we didn't figure out until he was 14 months old.  By that point he was used to waking up frequently.  Combine that with teething (which was difficult for him) and the birth of our second child and I really didn't sleep for a long time.

What we get!

As Superhero #1 grew he began to sleep better but there were times he would wake up so early.  I couldn't figure out why he wouldn't fall back to sleep.  My sister gave me one of her tips that she learned from a friend with diabetes but of course after awhile I forgot.

Fast forward to last week.  Both of my boys were waking up early!  The one was waking up every day at roughly 2:30 a.m.  and the other was waking at about 6 a.m.  The one would be awake for awhile with me and finally collapse into sleep (with me passing out by their side in our guest bed).  The other would come in at 6 a.m. and ask if he could get up and I would try to fall back to sleep for awhile.

The red rocking chair where I was spending my nights

This was becoming unproductive for all of us.  The entire household was becoming progressively more tired and as a result a bit more on edge.  My sister had just returned from her trip to Haiti (to see the little girl she's adopting) and was commenting on how her son was waking up super early when she was gone.  She had forgotten to tell our parents her trick to getting him to sleep in a bit more.  AHA!  I REMEMBERED HER TIP!

Tiredness in the home from way back when

So last night, after a week of sleep deprivation and a 5 year old that was getting pretty crabby, weepy, and emotional...I gave them...(INSERT DRUM ROLL HERE) a protein and carb before bedtime.  The protein is the key to keep them from having a blood sugar level drop right before morning.  This drop in  blood sugar causes a person to awake and not be able to fall back to sleep even though they need more sleep.  So did it work?  Superhero #2 woke up once (to sleep with me) and then was back to sleep until 8 a.m.!  Superhero #1 who was previously waking up at 6 a.m. is still sleeping and it's 9 a.m.!!!!  I did the same as the boys and I slept better too!

Raring to go!

Some Carb/Protein combinations for kids...

1. Celery sticks with nut or seed butter and raisins or dried fruit
2. Banana with nut or seed butter
3. Paleo or sprouted grain bread with nut/seed butter
4. boiled egg and fruit (our favorite)
5. Dried fruit and nuts (trail mix)
6. Uncured lunch meat and cheese rolled up with a side of favorite fruit
7. Nut granola with milk and fruit 
8. Yogurt with nut granola or chopped nuts/seeds
9. Meat & cheese on Nut Thins or paleo crackers
10. Hummus with veggies (carrots are carbs)

Sure, I missed going to the gym since I don't set an alarm when I'm sleeping with my little guys.  But ALL OF US slept more!  Thank you Jesus!  Literally!  May peace be restored to the home!

Try it out...see if it helps and let me know!  My Handsome Hubby and I are happy with the result!

Check out my guest post on Modern Alternative Health today...it's sharing a little bit on how to create a garden tailored for your family and your space.  Gardening Tailored for You

Sometimes I just miss my granola...

Sometimes I just miss my granola.  I never was much of a cereal person.  Perhaps, it was because of my gluten and lactose intolerance.  It was like feeding a beast and making it grow larger until it overtook me.

Granola on the other hand with a bit of almond milk...ahhh...be still my heart!  So now as we're on a majority grain free diet and I'm reaping health benefits from it I don't want to go back.  Yet...sometimes I miss my granola.

So today's recipe is from a blog Our Full Plate.  I stayed true to their recipe but will try to tweak it next time.  It is good.  Plain and simple.   It took minimal prep and minimal cook time.  It's not as crunchy as I wanted once dried so I did bake it a little extra but be careful so you don't burn it.  I plan on adding some dried goji berries when I eat it or fresh fruit and unsweetened almond milk.

So I'm going to have to try it again along with many other paleo granola recipes in my quest for the perfect one.  If you're missing the cereal or granola.  Try this.  Enjoy!

Oh...and Happy Mother's Day to the all the mama's out there.

Why?

With some new readers and some old and a need to articulate what I've been feeling lately...today will be a reflective entry for me.  Due to multiple events and questions I've needed to revisit the age old question of "Why?".  Why do I eat the way I do?  Why am I exercising so much?  Isn't it putting too much of a strain on my heart?  Why do I do most things holistically for my health and yet take one medication that the cardiologist prescribes?  Why?

Honestly, because of the people in the picture below.

Initially, I did everything out of fear.  Really, that's what it was.  I feared that if I didn't DO everything right I would keel over and die right on the floor.  Then for awhile it was control.  If I did "X", "Y", and "Z" I wouldn't have another heart attack.  

Gradually, I realized I needed to do it for me and for my family.  I realized that I would not, could not get answers at this time from the medical professionals that I see because my case is unique.  It's rare.  I'm an anomaly.  If you want to know more you can read my About section.

So I began to read more about health.  I had always tried to be healthy but now it was my lifeline.  Now it went from a curiosity to a passion.  Since I couldn't get complete answers in the hospital and doctors offices I started reading more.  I read about stress on the body, about inflammation, about foods and things that cause stress and inflammation of the body.  How inflammation and stress can impact the heart, your health, etcetera.

Keep in mind that I didn't stop what they were telling me to do.  I've continued taking the one medication that I'm on.  I managed to get them to wean me off 2 others.  So I'm VERY happy with that.  I question them incessantly and have a doctor that looks into answers for me.  My cardiologist is the one that wants me exercising and hour 5 to 7 days out of the week to create extra pathways in my heart.  To strengthen my heart.

I also know that I can control some factors but ultimately God is in control. However, He did give me a brain and common sense.  I can eat right.  I can exercise.  I can pray.  I can read my Bible.  I can pursue and build healthy relationships and create boundaries or end unhealthy relationships.  I can get sleep.  I can put the candy away (my weakness).  I can practice healthy self talk and encourage myself and others so I'm contributing to health and not stress.  I can let go of worry.  I can take time for myself and not feel badly about it.  I can play with the kids and let the house be messy.

Will some questions remain unanswered?  Yes.  And I need to let that go and live with it.  It is what it is.  God kept me around for a reason and I need to trust Him in that.

Does that mean I'll be perfectly healthy for the rest of my life and live to be 90?  I hope so but honestly I don't know.  What I do know is that I have a 5 year old sleeping right now who asked his Mama if we would go to heaven at the same time.  He said he doesn't want to be left alone without me.   I know that broke my heart.  I know it was related more to him realizing what "dead" meant after seeing his dad's dead turkey in the driveway than my hospital visits.  But I know even if it started with a dead turkey, his fears were real.  His tears were real.   

So tomorrow, I'll wake up early.  Get my gym clothes on.  And push myself.  Because I don't want my little 5 year old or my 2 1/2 year old or my 42 year old to be left alone.  That is why I do this.  I feel alive, strong, and happy and it's the best feeling in the world.

Thinking Outside the Box

Sometimes we need to think outside the box.  We're so used to expecting to eat things a certain way that it feels strange or wrong to change it.  This morning, before leaving for church I made chili.  It was a good recipe, turned out good.  I'd make it again.  I started with a recipe online and quickly realized that I didn't have the ingredients so it became a dumping ground for what I did have.  It called for beer. We don't drink.  But we did have red wine in our fridge that I've used for cooking since someone brought it to a dinner party we had and we didn't have any friends who drink to give it to either.  So the wine has sat in our fridge and been used for spaghetti sauce, soup, and now chili.  It also called for canned diced tomatoes which we didn't have.  I try not to buy canned tomatoes due to the BPA in the cans.  So I used diced roma tomatoes.  Then I didn't like the taste so I started tweaking spices here and there and finally had my recipe!

Not only did I have to think outside the box with the recipe but later we went fishing.  I didn't want to recreate a new meal for supper so I packed some bowls, shredded cheese, organic non-GMO corn chips, fresh fruit and veggies and some ice water for our picnic at our favorite fishing spot.  Unconventional picnic but we all ate and enjoyed the meal.

Here's the recipe that showed up from my brain today...

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large red onion, diced
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 medium yellow bell pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
8 ounces Italian sausage, casing removed
8 slices of bacon chopped1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder
1 teaspoon of salt1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
One 4-ounce can tomato paste
12 ounces of red cooking wine
6 cups diced roma tomatoes
Two 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed (I used beans I had made in my crockpot and frozen)

Toppings:
Fresh cilantro
Green onions
Avocado

1.  Sauté onions and bell pepper until tender.  Add hamburger, sausage and bacon.  Fry until done and drain fat.
2.  Dump meat mixture into crockpot and add remaining ingredients.
3.  Just before serving mix in 1 cup of finely minced cilantro.  You don't want to overcook it.
4. Serve with fresh cilantro, green onions, and avocado.
5.  Enjoy!

Blueberry Banana Waffles

So this morning, I was out of pancakes in the freezer.  The muffins I had premade in the fridge were dry (we'd had them in there for over a week).  Boiled eggs just didn't sound good and a German Apple Pancake recipe I had found would take too long.

Eating clean, eating unprocessed food takes time.  You have to think ahead a little but in the long run my body feels the difference and my kids behavior shows the difference.  They've been healthier overall too.  When they get sick, it doesn't seem to last as long and the rest of us don't always get it like before.

So what do you make for breakfast for 2 full of energy boys (other than just bacon).  I wore them out in the sunshine yesterday so they managed to sleep in past 7 o'clock.  This is a rarity in our house.  That's why I have to go to the gym at 5:46 a.m.   It takes me 6 minutes from my alarm clock going off to get my clothes on and head out the door.  But I got distracted...what do I make.  I'm always trying to branch out but have been a little afraid of trying my own concoctions in the baking realm.   Baking with coconut or almond flour is different than baking with traditional wheat flour or a gluten free flour blend.

No missing cereal with this! 

Of course you need your monster trucks to complete the meal

This is one of my concoctions.  I have to say...it tasted mighty fine!  Superhero #1 ate all of his and Superhero #2 just wanted milk, bacon, and cashews (this is not an unusual response for my 2 year old). I looked at several recipes for pancakes and waffle and this is what I came up with.  Try it out and let me know what you think.  There is a very small amount of coconut flour used and a large amount of eggs.  This is not a typo.  Coconut flour sucks up moisture.  So you'll have very high fiber, high protein waffles that melt in your mouth.

Blueberry Banana Waffles

4 eggs separated (room temperature if possible)

1/3 cup milk (almond, coconut, whole milk)

2 Tbsp. coconut oil melted

1/4 cup coconut flour

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. cinnamon

1 Tbsp. Grade B maple syrup

1 overripe banana (with brown spots) mashed

frozen wild blueberries

1. Separate eggs and place whites in separate bowl.  Whip egg whites until you have stiff peaks.  This works best if room temperature but is still possible with cold eggs.  It just takes longer.
2. Mix remaining ingredients in a separate bowl.  Make sure the banana is well mixed into the batter.   At this point the batter might seem a bit thick.  Don't worry.
3. Add egg whites to batter by folding in until well incorporated.
4. Pour 1/3 cup batter onto waffle iron.  Sprinkle a few frozen blueberries on top and close lid.
5. Open after 1-2 minutes (depending on your waffle iron).
6. Enjoy!

A Fast Meal for Spring Days

Simple is good!  I like simple.  Once warm weather hits, I spend very little time indoors.  I don't have nearly as many Hot Wheels cars to clean up at the end of a sunny spring day.  We live outside.  So when it's time to cook supper, my boys drag their feet to come in and so do I.  Add to the fact that we now have a GINORMOUS sandbox thanks to my parents and a HUMONGOUS garden started and I know I'll be shifting more and more towards the crock pot for cooking.  Today was one of those days when we were outside as much as possible.  So my fast easy meal that literally took about 30 minutes total to prep and cook was fried tilapia and roasted asparagus.

This is a good intro. meal for kids.  My boys still aren't enjoying the asparagus so I'll be honest...they ate carrot sticks and cucumbers with their meal and some apple slices.  But they LOVED the fish.  They love tuna fish so this is a natural transition.  Tilapia has a very light flavor and firm texture so if you're not a big fish eater like me...this is a good one to try.  I would prefer wild caught but we went with farmed this time due to availability and cost.  Remember, do what you can when you can.  It will never be perfect but every step in the right direction counts.

Roasted Asparagus Prepped


Roasted Asparagus
Asparagus
Sea Salt
Garlic Powder
Olive Oil
Lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line baking sheet with foil.  Snap "woody" ends off bottom of asparagus spears.  Lay evenly on pan.  Sprinkle with sea salt, and garlic powder.  Drizzle olive oil on top.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Remove from oven and place in bowl or on plate.  Lightly squeeze fresh lemon juice over top.  Enjoy!

Fish prepped with dried parsley, sea salt, pepper, coconut oil, and a smidge of garlic powder 

Missed the Parsley in this picture...I had thrown it in the recycling and didn't want to go digging for it.  :-)

Waiting for it to fry on Medium heat for 3-5 minutes on one side.

Finished product!  Soooo good on a hot day like today!

Fried Tilapia

Thawed Tilapia Fillets

Coconut oil

Dried Parsley

Sea Salt

Pepper

Garlic powder

Lemons

Heat cast iron griddle over medium heat.  Grease your pan with coconut oil.  Don't worry about the fat...it's healthy fat.  Sprinkle parsley, salt, and pepper over fish.  VERY LIGHTLY sprinkle with garlic.  Not too much or it will overpower the flavor of the fish.  Fry 3-5 minutes per side.   It should be flaky when cooked through.  Remove from pan to a plate and squeeze lemon juice over if you like.  Enjoy!