Chocolate No-Bake Energy Bites

Chocolate.  Doesn't the word just give you warm and fuzzy feelings? It's almost my BFF.
But unfortunately, a lot of the chocolatey goodness sold today is pretty much h-o-r-r-i-b-l-e for us.


*tears*

However, when I came across the recipe I'm about to share, I was giddy with excitement. You mean I don't have to feel guilty about eating something chocolate? Oh my. Sign me up.
I found the original recipe via The Cheapskate Cook.
Ladies, these are splendidly simple and you can mix things around. It's totally forgiving. (My kind of recipe)

photo from The Cheapskate Cook

The list of ingredients:

• 1 cup rolled oats*
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (sweetened works fine)
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds (or ground nuts or flaxseed) **
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (or raisins, mini chocolate chips, M&M’s or ground nuts)
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder (optional)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Here's the entire recipe.

*(From the Cheapskate Cook herself) "My only disappointment with these is that they use uncooked oats, which according to my research aren’t the easiest for your body to digest. I’m sure these can be replaced with something healthier, but up until now I’ve just been thankful for a frugal treat that doesn’t have an ingredients list a mile long."

**Instead of the sesame seeds, I ground up raw walnuts, raw almonds and raw organic pumpkin seeds. I also sprinkled in a tiny bit of ground flax. (Not a huge fan of the taste of flax, but that stuff packs a nutritional punch, so I put in just enough to get something out of it, but not enough to really taste it ;)

I like that this recipe uses honey as the sweetener. It's still a sugar, but it's nature's sweetener. Good ol' raw honey.

Just FYI: Your kids will totally think you are the coolest mom ever if you give them a few of these beauties for breakfast.  I honestly don't feel bad doing that every now and then, because not only is this recipe a "not as bad as..." one, but depending on which ingredients you choose to add, and their quality, these Chocolate No-Bake Energy Bites can actually be very nutritious! 

Now, I'm off to the fridge to get my Chocolate fix. And I'm not feelin' an ounce of guilt about it ;) 

Parental Rights

Have you noticed a trend here in America lately?

It seems parents are having to fight harder every day just to maintain the right to parent their own children without interference.

And this case is no different. You can also read a longer, more detailed version here.

If you can contact Michigan's elected officials on this family's behalf, it would be greatly appreciated. The article will provide you with the links to do so.

Let us continue to be in prayer for our Nation.

I'm rather fond of the freedoms we've been given under the Constitution.

Especially now that I'm a parent.

I'm Tired Of It!

Does this cartoon hit home for you? It does me!
I'm the girl who sits down and watches The Biggest Loser while eating Oreos!

...and I'm tired of it!

I've studied Health and Nutrition, but just can't seem to apply what I've learned!
But now I think I'm finally ready to!

And here's a blog that's going to help me out...

Heavenly Homemakers is one of my go-to blogs.

She's starting a series called...


I'm so excited to begin!


Let's make 2010 the start of a healthy lifestyle!

Shatter that Platter!

I used to get so annoyed when I'd watch the Food Network and see restaurant chefs serve scant meals leaving tons of "wasted space" on the plate. I like my plates piled high with food so I know I'm getting my money's worth!



But when I recently ran across WebMD's Portion Size Guide, I was reminded that a piled high plate isn't figure friendly (nor health friendly)! It's always astounding to see how little food we really should be eating compared to what actually goes in our mouth. After I read over the portion sizes, I realized the chefs were doing their customers a favor by not serving them the whole kitchen on a plate!

I'll be the first to admit that I can down a platter at one of my favorite restaurants. Yes, I said platter, not plate. Isn't it rather ridiculous that our meals can be served on PLATTERS??? And isn't it even more ridiculous that I can actually finish one? Seriously, that's a lot of food! I'm always sicker than a dog after I'm through eating, and that just shouldn't be the case! Eat to live, Kari, don't live to eat!


Anyhoo, I printed off a Portion Size Guide and hung it on our fridge as a reminder when I serve dinner in the future. I'm bad..er, I guess really good, at serving too much food!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, I'm turning over a new leaf. I've been trying to get back to living a healthier lifestyle, and cutting my portions back is one way I can do that.

If, in the future, I do go to a platter-not-plate-serving restaurant, I'll need to keep in mind a couple of tips so that I don't overeat and end up sick! Here they are:

Eat slooooowwwlyyy....
I'm terrible about eating ridiculously fast. It's such a bad habit. My meal is over before I realize what I just inhaled ate. Eating slowly will make mealtime more pleasant, and will also allow you to realize you're full before you've eaten too much.

Chew, chew chew!
The more you chew your food, the more digestive enzymes you release which in turn helps your body digest the food properly. Also, it allows you to savor the food before you!

It's no fun sitting at the table watching others finish their meal while you sit there with an empty plate feeling like a gluttonous pig! Believe me...I know.

Lastly, here's a quote I find helpful during those emotional eating moments:

If hunger is not the problem, then eating is not the solution.
– Anon

Here's to our health!

What's the Dill?

I have a new found interest in Dill. Dull, huh?

Seriously though, it's quite the healthful little herb.



Here's the Dill....

This common ingredient for modern do-it-yourself "picklers" was so historically valued that the ancient Israelites were required to tithe from their supplies. The ancient Greeks and Romans also cultivated dill as a kitchen herb. Dill has been used traditionally as a remedy for cancer and estrogen deficiency, and research supports dill's 3,000-year use as a digestive aid and remedy for excessive intestinal gas.
Dill-seed oil inhibits the growth of several bacteria that attach to the digestive tract. As a tea, it soothes the stomach and intestines and also relieves upper-respiratory ailments. Its oil is so strongly antibacterial that it inhibits organisms such as anthrax (Bacillus anthracis). Dill contains various phytochemicals that act as insecticides, enhance estrogen levels and serve as a uterine relaxant, and fight infection, bacteria, and insects.
Source: James A. Duke, Ph.D., Herbs of the Bible: 2,000 Years of Plant Medicine

Dill isn't so dull after all!

Here's a yummy dill sauce recipe to try:

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

1/8 t. garlic powder

1 t. fresh lemon juice

2 T. chopped fresh dill (organic if possible!)

Mix together and serve! Goes great with Tilapia.

Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.

Proverbs 15:17

Tazo Goodness...

Have y'all ever tried a Tazo Tea??

I've finally given up pop (it was so hard!), so now when I stop at a gas station, instead of getting an ice cold Dr. Pepper at the fountain, I reach for a Tazo Tea. Brambleberry to be exact.



I love ancient history. So when I saw what was printed around the bottle, honestly, it's the main reason I chose the drink in the first place!

It said,

"An ancient Sumerian proverb says one can taste all the flavors of Babylon's Hanging Gardens in a single sip of Tazo Brambleberry."

That's neat to me.

Anyway, other than the possible link to history, the drink has other things going for it. It's not a perfect drink, but a much better choice than pop!

These are the ingredients:
(Water, Hibiscus, Cinnamon, Peppermint, Lemongrass, Rosehips, Orange Peel, and Natural Lemon Essence). Cane Sugar, Concentrated Apple and Marion Blackberry Juices, Natural Flavors and Citric Acid.

Berries are known to pack a punch of antioxidants. Antioxidants help the fight against cellular damage. Cinnamon also has a lot of health benefits.
Ok...this is beginning to sound like a lame report I wrote in Jr. High so I'll cut to the chase...

I just wanted to let you ladies know about the drink. It has an interesting taste--it kinda caught me off guard the first time that I tried it; but now I enjoy it!
It's certainly more healthful than the Dr. Pepper I used to be addicted to!

Let me know if you try it!

~~~~~

Ruins of Hanging Gardens of Babylon-Iraq

Deceptively Delicious

Have you all heard of Jessica Seinfeld's (Jerry Seinfeld's wife) cook book called Deceptively Delicious (DD)?

She's learned the art of adding veggies into her meals--yes, even desserts--without her kids knowing it!

The other day I picked a yellow squash from our garden and really didn't know what to do with it.

Bob doesn't like squash and I probably wasn't going to eat it all on my own before it went bad, (plus we both need more nutrition in our diets! You can read about some of the health benefits of squash here) so I had to think of something! I glanced over and saw the DD cookbook and inspiration struck!

I decided to make cheese enchiladas, which Bob loves...
but what he didn't know was that I was going to add pureed squash!! Muahaha! =)

I've tried recently to eat as much nutritious food as possible. It's hard to do that when all that's in the pantry is ready-made packaged foods....all filled with ingredients that are harmful to our bodies.

So, I made the tortillas for the enchiladas as well as the enchilada sauce. Thankfully, they were yummy! Not only did Bob not realize there was squash in his enchilada, but the tortillas were made with whole wheat flour (he's not too fond of whole wheat anything).

Here's what I did...

I started with the tortillas. This is the recipe I used.

Here are some pictures of some of the steps...

First, I shredded some cheddar cheese

then I minced the Jalapenos with my trusty Magic Bullet

I used half whole wheat and half white flour...the dough is usually more manageable when there's a little white mixed in.

Then I formed 8 balls of dough...

and let them "nap", covered, for approx. 5 minutes

As you can see, I'm terrible at rolling out a perfect circle!
I just put them on an ungreased electric skillet until a few brown spots appeared and then flipped them. The first time I attempted tortillas I cooked them WAY too long and then ended up being more like chips!

Ready to become an enchilada!

First, I diced up the squash

Then, I steamed them just until tender so they were easier to puree.
Veggies don't lose as many nutrients when steamed.

The deception is about to begin.
Here's the pureed squash + some jalapeno juice to give it some kick.

Down goes the squash on the tortilla

and then some yummy cheddar to try and hide the deception!

Just before the oven...

Right out of the oven..ready to eat, YUM!

Shhh....don't tell Bob about the squash!

ZZzzzzz....

Are you getting enough sleep?

...I know I'm not! A lot of it has to do with the fact that I have an infant at home; ok..well..really I just stay up waaayy too late. In fact, Ethan is getting the hang of sleeping through the night. Praise God!! =)

I originally went to college to become a Registered Dietitian. I've been interested in health for a long time (I'm way off track currently--but trying to get back in the swing of things!), and enough sleep definitely plays a part in achieving optimum health.

Here is some interesting information on the importance of sleep:

"How much sleep you need depends on a number of factors, including your gender, the speed of your metabolism, the quality of the sleep you get, and your age..."

"What goes on in the body during sleep is still rather mysterious, but researchers agree that getting enough sleep is essential for optimum health. Lack of a good night's sleep impairs the nervous system, clouds memory, encumbers physical performance, and makes concentrating more difficult..."

"Current research has even linked sleep deprivation to impaired sugar control, a weakened immune system, and an increased chance of developing cancer."

The writers, Jordan Rubin (he has several great books!!) and Joseph Brasco go on to write, "Some researchers believe that each hour of sleep you get before midnight is worth two or more hours of sleep after midnight."

Excerpts taken from Restoring Your Digestive Health,
by Jordan Rubin, Joseph Brasco

Maybe Ben Franklin was on to something when he said, "Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." !

And the Word always has wisdom to give us!

"It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones."
Psalm 127:2

Go catch some Zzzz's!

I think I'm addicted...

Yep--I know I shouldn't have, but ever since Ethan's been born, I've become CrAzY addicted to Dr. Pepper!! I know I need to stay away from it--there's absolutely NO nutritional value to it whatsoever, and I'm beginning to feel the effects of all the junk that's in it...

Plus, we've pretty much been living off of fast food since he's been born..and what I eat, Ethan eats =( I know, that's horrible!! I've GOT to go to the grocery store. I miss cooking...and what real food tastes like.




This is pretty much how it has been around our house....

So, now I'm beginning to feel like this...

I need some intervention to get me off of this junk!

This is a scripture that I think is so interesting: Psalm 105:37b talks about the Israelites departing from Egypt and how "...there was not one feeble person among their tribes" Wow!! Can you imagine? All those people..literally millions..and not one person was sick or weak!
God had dietary laws for the Israelites, to set them apart from the other nations--I believe that's why they were so healthy--God knows what the body should and shouldn't consume. Now, I know we aren't under the law, but "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto good works." 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

All of God's Word is relevant to our lives--maybe we should take another look at the OT food laws and see what it was that kept the Israelites healthy..?? I don't think it would hurt anything--the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.) sure isn't doing anything to promote health!!

I've always been interested in health and wellness. I was actually going to school to become a Dietitian. All the stuff that I've learned, though, I've kinda thrown out the window lately. So, I'm going to try to keep myself accountable and post every once in awhile about how I'm doing in the health area--I've gotta be healthy so that I can better serve the Lord and others!

Oh yeah, I'm so proud of my M.I.L. Carol for totally cutting out artificial sweeteners!! She sure loved her Diet Dr. Pepper but realized it was making her really achy and tired. Those fake sugars are bad news!!

Here is a blog that I really enjoy reading. This blogger mom is so great about making healthy meals from scratch. She has a lot of neat recipes/ideas. Check her out!

Alrighty, I'm done! I've gotta go drink a Dr. Pepper after all that typing...ahh..j/k!
I think a bottle of water sounds better! ;)

Have a great weekend!