Wordpress

Hi Everyone.

I have had difficulty trying to get my blogger blog to co-operate with me. It seems that it doesn't want to learn any new tricks…so I plan on moving to wordpress. Please look for me there -if doing this move on my own doesn't work…ahhhhh!

Hopefully we shall be reunited again soon!

(And hopefully I can still be happy in this techie, codes and SEO journey! AHHHHH!!!!)

My Blog is Getting a Face Lift

Hi Everyone!

Thank you to everyone for their patience as I (im)patiently learn how to over-haul my blog to something better….

Some of my (new) Favourite Clean Eating Sites

Hello World! =)

So, eating clean is a bit more thought provoking but so worth the little extra effort it takes.

Here are a few of my newest favourite clean eating sites:

• HeandSheEatClean.com - I like this site for their taco soup especially. I also like their Ranch Seasoning.  
• As mentioned before I like the taco seasoning from Oxygen Magazine found here on my blog. You will also find my homemade soft taco shell recipe there as well.
• http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating/ explains what clean eating is. She has recipes you may enjoy too. We have tried and like her gingerbread waffles.
• nutritiondata.com Just saw this on another site…thought it looked interesting. Let me know your thoughts.

Homemade Skinnier Nutella? No Way

My Friend posted this on Facebook and I can't wait to try it! It comes from a site I have been looking at lately. I have been trying (except over Christmas, with all the baked goods and homemade chocolates we received and/or made) to find cleaner eating solutions whenever possible. Skinnyms.com is a site worth checking out.

Yields: 15 | Serving size: 1 tablespoon | Calories: 57 | Previous Points: 1 Points Plus: 2 | Total Fat: 5 g | Saturated Fats: 2 g | Trans Fats: 0 g | Cholesterol: 0 mg |Sodium: 21 mg | Carbohydrates: 4 g | Dietary fiber: 1 g | Sugars: 3 g | Protein: 1 g

Ingredients

• 1 cup hazelnuts, skinned

• 3/4 cup chocolate chips (for gluten and dairy free try Enjoy Life Brand and for no added refined sugar try SunSpire Bittersweet chips...grain sweetened)

• 3/4 cup lite coconut milk, canned (almond or regular milk will work)

• 1 1/2 tablespoons mild honey

• Pinch of Kosher or sea salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Evenly spread hazelnuts on a cookie sheet and roast approximately 15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool at room temperature. Remove skins by placing hazelnuts in a kitchen towel and rubbing until the skins fall off.

In a medium saucepan, add chocolate chips, milk, honey and salt, turn to low heat and heat until chips are completely melted. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly while preparing hazelnuts.

Add hazelnuts to a food processor and pulse until a butter like consistency...about 5 minutes. The nuts will have a slightly grainy consistency and that's okay, a little is fine. Add chocolate mixture to food processor and pulse until well combined with hazelnut butter.

Add nutella to a glass container, allow to cool completely, cover and refrigerate. Nutella will thicken after being refrigerated. This recipe makes approximately one pint.

NOTE: The fats in this recipe are healthy fats which come from the hazelnuts and coconut milk...both are superfoods that are packed with health benefits.

************************

Okay…the above recipe is from the site mentioned above.  My question to you is…where can I buy hazelnuts? Not at the typical grocery stores… ;( No, seriously…need some hazelnut finding pointers.  =}

Keep on that Journey folks!

My 7 Points for Bettering Yourself.

Well, Happy New Year to You Too!

Apologies everyone, December is always difficult for me. (As with many of my fiends) December is when I slip into a reflective, sad, space missing my late hubby Brian.  Not only is it Christmas but his birthday is 5 days before. We still celebrate it, to honour his life and that brings me comfort. I go into a place where I think too much and then spend too much time entertaining myself - usually by wasting time with app games, TV and movies…just to stop thinking. I secretly hope someone will remember Brian's birthday too, without my prompting (and one family did, thank you) and want someone to love me and rescue me from my sorrow, but that is not my reality. So, I pray like crazy (sometimes in a not so reverent manner), finish December and take a deep breath. I know I cannot stay in this place. It is not healthy and no one but the Saviour can save me. Then I find myself picking up new good, wholesome literature (thank you to a new friend and her hubby who just gave me my latest book about Christ) that draws me nearer to my Maker, and I start afresh. My journey to be happy continues.

Just like exercise - which goes by the way side in December, -as does eating right =( , if you quit or mess up your diet, just pick right back up and continue. Like when you first learned how to ride a bike!

(poketo.com)

Here are my tips on how to be your best self:
(Remembering that we are all imperfect and make mistakes)

1. The Lord. Make Him a Priority and He will draw closer to you as you draw closer to Him. If the God of this world, our Saviour, Jesus Christ, who was perfect, without sin had to descend below all things - how can we not also expect to have our own trials of faith? Each trial sanctifies us, purifies us so that one day we too can be perfected in Christ. In other words, we need to have our imperfections, our impurities leave us through trials to become who we truly are.

http://www.lds.org

SPECIFICALLY: Read your scriptures, say your prayers and get to church. 

2. Sleep. Get enough but don't over sleep. (7-8) In this way you can wake early and get lots accomplished in your life.  Try to go to bed early to wake early. 

sheknows.com

3. Exercise. A little is better than nothing. Try to work up a sweat for at least 20 minutes a day. Make exercise fun. (It can get boring, especially when you go by yourself.) Switch it up, change what you're doing. Run outside in the fresh air. Do push ups in your room. Skip. Do yoga. Walk briskly. Anything. Exercise improves your health. I helps clear your head. In fact, after Brian died I ran everyday. It was what kept me sane when my world had fallen apart. I even cried loads of tears while crying..which made me have to stop occasionally to see where I was going! ;) Exercise is great for sadness.

sheknows.com

4. Stop eating refined sugar. You'll not only see the foggy brain lift, (which is why December can be so sad- we eat sugar and get moody) but you will also lose weight. .

5. Eat Right. Eat lots of veggies, and eat fruit. Chose lean meats. It's better to not eat processed foods like sandwich meat, prepackage foods…eat foods that you can make yourself. Plus, eating at home instead of fast food or restaurant food saves the budget and the belly.

allsortsofpretty.com

6. Drink water. Lots. Cleans out impurities and makes skin look fabulous. Helps with the next point too…!

http://carolalt.com/2013/10/water-follow-up/

7. Poop. Yup. I said it. I'm sure my kids are shrinking in the corner! By eating well, drinking water, sleeping and exercising you should be able to "go". This isn't always the case so see your Dr. You may just need to cleanse out the candida (yeast) inside your gut. Some is good and needs to be there but we have too much in us from the way we eat,  too many yeasts and sugars (natural or refined) the pills we take..etc. You should clear your bowels daily.

http://www.everydayhealth.com

http://www.longheh.com/constipation1.html

8. Learn. The more good "stuff" you put into your brain, the less "bad" thoughts can come in and disturb the peace. For example, whenever I am reading a book about the Saviour, I am filling my head with "good" and not allowing criticism for others or myself to get planted there. When I am reading about nutrition, or learning how to quilt, seeing someone else's needs (with love, not with expectation of reward)…We are never to old to learn something new. Keep challenging your mind. Have you not heard the saying,"You reap what you sow?" If you want to be happy in your journey then plant good thoughts and actions into your heart and mind. Otherwise, weeds will grow and destroy all the good.

http://www.fitbrains.com/brain-health/

http://www.fitbrains.com/brain-health/mental-stimulation

Again, I am not perfect at this and find my challenges hard. Who doesn't? So, if you are a normal imperfect person that wants to be better - then let's do it. Don't be hard on yourself. We all fall, but what makes us truly great is when we pick ourselves back up and start again. I love you for trying!