Healthy Recipes for Young Children

I am so excited by my son's and daughter-in-law's efforts to create healthy habits with my grandsons. Already the 21 month old loves his green smoothies and one of his favorite books is "Smoofie Magic" (Green Smoothie Magic by Victoria Boutenko). He is limited to reading this three times a day as he requests it continually. What a gift they are giving him by teaching him that it is fun to enjoy greens, fruits and vegetables, essentially the plants that God gave us.

So in their honor, I share a few recipes for smaller children who can't eat salads yet and are beyond baby food.  I would love to know what recipes you enjoy with the young people in your life. Please share them in the comments below. Be sure they are free from chemicals and food coloring, artificial sweeteners or table sugar and use wholesome ingredients. We can all learn from each other. Thank you in advance!

Homemade Apple Sauce
Homemade apple sauce is quick and easy with a blender.
1-2 apples, cored, peeled (if desired) and chopped
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Blend and enjoy.

Yummy Fruit Sauce
Just like applesauce, adding other fruits can offer variations. My family members love these sauces.
1 pear, chopped
1 banana, chopped into pieces
1 apple, chopped
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
Add the fruit to the blender in order and blend until smooth after each addition.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and flaxseed.  Remember, the riper the fruit, the sweeter the sauce will be.
Variations:  add a stalk of celery, kiwi, mango, cucumber or try your own variation.

Berry Bonanza
1/2 cup of two different berries: blueberries, raspberries, pomegranate, cut grapes
1 banana, sliced
1 inch piece fresh ginger, grated
2 Tbsp walnuts, hazelnuts, or pecans, coarsley chopped
1/2 tsp cinnamon or vanilla powder
Honey or agave nectar, to taste
Mix all together and enjoy alone or over yogurt or oatmeal.

Curry Roasted Cauliflower
1 head cauliflower
1/2 red onion, diced
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 425 F. Clean and cut cauliflower into florets. Toss vegetables in bowel with all other ingredients. Place in roasting pan and cook for 25- 30 minutes.  You can enjoy as finger food or serve as a side dish.  Delicious!

Orange Smoothie
Juice from 2 oranges
1/2 cup frozen berries (blueberry or rasperry)
1 pear, chopped
1 tsp spirulina powder
2-3 drops of Young Living Orange or Tangerine essential oil
Mix all the fruit in the blender and blend until smooth.  Add spirulina and essential oil and blend again.
Spirulina is a superfood, high in protein (1 tsp = 3+ grams of protein). It is great for adding nutrients and protein to the diet.

2014, The Best Year Yet!

I have been reflecting on the past year with gratitude for all the many blessings I have received and looking toward 2014 with questions about how I can make it the best year yet.

For 2013, I am very grateful.  I now have two healthy, active grandsons who have stolen my heart. My son and daughter-in-law have allowed me to enter their lives as Mema, and have introduced me to the joys and challenges of a missionary life and spirit. My daughter has moved within 5 hours of me when she had been 20+ hours away.  My youngest son has spent the last 5 months with me as he looked for employment in his field, giving me time to really get to know him better as an adult. Now he has been blessed with a great position and will be moving on to his next adventure.

I have learned a lot about myself, have faced many fears and my struggle to give up control, and have learned to be more trusting and flexible. I have been encouraged to discover my passion and purpose and have launched my full-time, home business.  I have been nourished by the writings and presentations of people like Jim Rohn, Darren Hardy, Jeff Olsen, Anne Voskamp and Sarah Young.

I am grateful for the health of my parents, the love and support of friends and the enjoyment of sharing health and wellness with so many wonderful people.

As I look to 2014, I ask myself what I would like to do better, how I can be healthier and what specific steps am I willing to take?

I am sure we have probably all heard the expression, "Failing to plan is planning to fail." Many of us know where we would like to be a year from now, but we fail to actually map out the steps of the journey, to explore the route it will take to get to that destination. We are sometimes surprised to find ourselves beginning another year without being closer to the goals we had desired at the beginning of the last year.

A year from now I will be very disappointed if I have not figured out a way to add more regular exercise to each day.  I will be frustrated if I have not learned better listening skills, spent quality time building strong mentoring relationships and reached some of my business and financial goals.

Simple steps, repeated daily, will take me to where I want to go.  I realize that I can start with 10 minutes of stretching each day and this will be better than setting more difficult exercise goals and then not doing anything at all.  I can always increase and build on my successful beginning. I will set a plan to drink more water (6 - 8 oz. glasses a day) and come up with a creative way to remind myself (any suggestions?).

I will spend 10 to 20 minutes each day taking care of receipts, recording mileage, preparing tax information.  I would like to commit to reading 30 minutes of a self-development or skill building book each day (M-F) so I can grow as a person and a business leader.

Over the next several days, before New Years Day, I will be mapping out my steps for 2014. Setting simple, specific, measurable and consistent steps is the key to success.

As you look for 2014, what simple steps can you map out to get you to the success you would like to experience before 2015? Can you share an idea that might inspire me or someone else?

Christmas Love

"Merry Christmas" seems like a mild expression to share when something so incredibly miraculous has taken place.  It almost sounds as weak as "Have a Nice Day" would sound if you were talking to someone who just won the lottery.

What we commemorate is nothing short of God coming to be one of us. Christ came into the world to bring us love.  He became small, fragile, vulnerable so He could know intimacy with us.

In the book, The Greatest Gift, by Anne Voskamp, she writes:
"So God throws open the door of this world - and enters as a baby.  As the most vulnerable imaginable.  Because He wants unimaginable intimacy with you." (pg. 235)

What an incredible thought...inconceivable! God chooses to become breakable, fragile, dependent, so that we can relate to Him. He wants a relationship with me, with you.

"What God ever came so tender we could touch Him? So fragile that we could break Him? So vulnerable that His bare, beating heart could be hurt? Only the One who loves you to death." (pg. 235)

Christmas is a reminder and a challenge for us to choose daily to be in relationship with a God who cares deeply about us.

"Christmas is about God doing whatever it takes to be with us - and our doing whatever it takes to be with Him." (pg. 236)

Of course, Christmas, His birth, is only the beginning of this love story. We celebrate the Christmas season for another couple weeks, through Epiphany and the coming of the wise men.  The story will continue through to Holy Week and Easter when Jesus will make the ultimate sacrifice for us. He will love us to the point of death.

It is hard to wrap my mind around these events, but I can choose to sit with these ideas, take time to reflect, knowing that in my limited, human reasoning I will never fully unwrap this gift, this mystery. I can allow glimpses to penetrate my life and transform my heart into one of daily joy.

I can be thankful.  I can share the truth of this gift with others.

How have you experienced God's love for you in a personal way?

Healthy Christmas Smoothies

I have had several requests for green smoothies that my family enjoys.  I thought I would share a few of our favorites, that I've even made for Christmas morning with a Christmas tree fruit platter.  Who says Christmas can't be festive and healthy?  Let me know what you think of these smoothies and is you have one you'd like to share.

Kiwi, Lime Ginger Smoothie

2 kiwi

1 banana

½ lime, juiced

½ inch ginger root, chopped

1 & ½ cup spinach

1 tps. ground flax seed

Pina Colada Smoothie

2 bananas

2 oranges, peeled

1 cup fresh or frozen pineapple

2 cups kale or other greens
2 cups water or almond/coconut milk

¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)

Citrus Zinger Smoothie

2 frozen bananas

2 oranges, peeled or just the juice

½ organic lemon, juiced w/ ¼ of peel

3 dates, chopped

2 cups greens (kale, spinach, swiss chard)

2 drops YL Citrus Fresh essential oil

1 & 1/2 cup water (or 1 cup almond milk)

Life is Like a Jigsaw Puzzle

Don’t you hate it when you work for hours on a jigsaw puzzle only to discover that you are missing a piece (or two)?  My son and I worked on a 750 piece puzzle, 100 chickens and a worm, and the final result was two pieces short of a masterpiece.  Frustrating!

I started reflecting on how life can seem like a jigsaw puzzle. God sees the finished masterpiece, while we are only able to give our attention to a few pieces at a time. We struggle sometimes to see how the pieces in our life fit together. What is our life’s purpose?  How can we use our gifts, skills, talents to make the world a better place?

When you start on a puzzle, it can feel overwhelming.  All these pieces…how will we ever make sense of them? In my life as a mother, wife, friend, sister, mentor, business owner, I can sometimes feel scattered and overwhelmed. How do all the pieces in my life come together? How do I manage my obligations and keep my priorities in order?

At the beginning of a puzzle, progress can seem very slow. You look for connections, patterns that will help you make sense of what you are seeing.  I think life is like this too.  We can start to reflect on the threads of our lives, the patterns of what God has been doing.  For example, through the years I have had experience as a leader and teacher; I have organized events, mentored others, done some speaking and writing, and taken an interest in health.  Now I find many of these “pieces” of my life coming together as I move forward with my home business and share health and wellness with others.

In working on this chicken puzzle, I was sure that certain pieces were going to fit in a given spot.  I pushed, twisted and tried to make the pieces fit where I thought they should go.  They just didn’t fit.  Ever do that in life? I know there are days when I try to force a particular outcome only to be frustrated later because my choice was not life giving and did not bless me or others. I rushed forward, impulsively, without taking the time to pray or reflect first.

My son and I chose to work on the chicken puzzle without looking at the box and the picture of the finished product.  This meant we had to keep our options open and keep examining our groupings to see how they might fit together.  For me this was an example of how I need to remain open to God’s direction and guidance.  I can’t see the future or the “finished product”, but I experience peace when I trust God to be the one to “put the pieces together”.  I can enjoy the journey, the process of life, the good companions and the surprises around every corner.  I can be amazed each day as the masterpiece takes shape and I get glimpses of the finished product.

Christmas is a time to remember that God chose to enter into our puzzle, to help us make sense of all the pieces.  Jesus came as a baby, born in less than optimal circumstances, and trudged along, slowly, for 30 years allowing the pieces of His life to come together in the pattern that the Father had ordained. When it was time, He used all of his life’s experiences to fuel His ministry.  He may not have always understood how the pieces of His life, and eventually His death, would come together to complete the Father’s will, but He had complete confidence in His heavenly Father to guide and care for Him, and through Him to guide and care for each of us.  

Does this analogy speak to you?  Are there other similarities that you experience?

In what way does your life seem like a jigsaw puzzle? 

The Gift of a Blanket

Lights, decorations, wrapping gifts, Christmas parties, carolers, stocking stuffers, getting the right gift, mailing packages in time for Christmas, checking the bank account and credit card balances...

This time of year can become a swirling blur of activity, spending and, well, self preoccupation. I can be so focused on all that is expected of me, by family and co-workers, my Church groups and friends, that I can become distracted from real needs.

Do I really need more clothes?  Do my children really need more toys? Do I really need to have 10 dozen cookies around my house and feast daily on rich foods and drink? I am not saying that these things are wrong, but do they cause me to forget?

Forget... that there are people around the world who do not have the basic necessities. About those who are living through the aftermath of a natural disaster. About the neighbor who is home bound and has no real family left to visit her.

My heart can become so consumed with stuff, that I forget. I jump in my hot shower after sleeping in a warm bed and never give it a second thought. For some reason, this year I am more conscious than ever of those who sleep in cardboard houses, who drink contaminated water or who don't know where their next meal will come from. I want to do something to help. I want to trade in some of my stuff, so that they can have something, however small to make their lives better.

I decided to buy a blanket.  It's not much.  I wish it could be more this year, but it's a start. My son and his family are missionaries with Family Missions Company. Through their website, I was able to buy a blanket for someone in Mexico who might be living without heat.  I donated it as a birthday gift to my son this week. You could call it forced generosity. He was really blessed by this gift, but so was I.  It lit a fire in me to do more.

What would happen if, on Christmas morning, your children or family members opened a gift to discover that you had given a blanket, a care package or food for a family in their name? They might initially be a bit stunned, even disappointed, but it could create good conversation and an awareness of those who are not celebrating Christmas as we are. It could generate a bit more gratitude for what we do have and for what they did get.

There are lots of organizations that can help you buy a gift for someone in need. If you are not sure where to find one, check out Family Missions Company's offerings. Gifts range from $10 to $100.

Please share with us what you do to stay focused on the needs of those less fortunate. Maybe you have an idea that will bless others, literally.

A Real Health Care Crisis

"Adverse drug reactions put 2.2 million people in hospitals each year and 106,000 die, "making these reactions between the fourth and sixth leading cause of death." 
Journal of American Medical Assoc, 4-15-1998

"199,000 people died at home according to the Western J Med. June, 2000. So deaths in and outside of hospitals from prescription drugs totaled 305,000 a year with 8 million admissions to the hospital and 3 million for long-term care (nursing homes - not able to return home)."

I believe we are experiencing a health care crisis. And with the implementation of the new mandated government health care, I personally believe the crisis is only going to get worse.

USA Today reported that Americans spent $320 billion on prescription drugs in 2011, and yet we still have some of the highest rates of  cancer, heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune diseases in the world.  More drugs does not equal better health. If it did, then those with the most drugs would be the healthiest. 

The Father of Modern Medicine, Sir William Osler, stated, "Far too large a section of the treatment of disease is today controlled by the big manufacturing pharmacists, who have enslaved us in a plausible pseudo-science...We take into our bodies that which we know little about, drugs that we know less about, to treat diseases that we know nothing about."

My personal conviction is that it is time to choose to take steps to improve our health naturally and effectively.  Prevention is the best way to avoid becoming a pharmaceutical statistic.  Do you believe that there are abuses and moral dilemmas with health insurance, Obamacare and the HHS mandate?  You can bring about change by simply being healthy. 

What if you didn’t need health care because you were never sick? What if you didn’t take medications and drugs because you were healthy?  What would happen to the trillion dollar pharmaceutical industry and their power to influence public policy, especially their power to decide who can and cannot receive medical care? 

Taking steps to improve health is about improving your own life personally, which of course would lead to better interaction with your family, friends, and community.  But can you see how it would also influence our nation?  In our consumer society where money speaks, your dollars could promote better growing practices, healthier products and natural options.  Your dollar would trickle into the hands of those that are the pioneers in natural healing.

As your own health improves, others will ask what you're doing and will join you in this new lifestyle.  Slowly, the statistics in our country will change until the momentum builds and natural healing again becomes the first line of defense.  I have a dream...and it can happen. 

I would love to know what steps you are taking to make a difference, both in your own health and in our culture. Share an idea or two...

Healthy Holiday Treats

The holiday season is associated with special foods, family recipes and lots of sweets. There's grandma's famous nut thins, another grandmother's chocolate fudge, special beverages for Christmas eve by the fireplace.

This year I've decided to create some new family traditions or adapt an old tradition so it is healthier. I want my body to still be well nourished and my immune system to remain strong.  

Here are a few of the recipes I will be using this year. Each of them uses Young Living essential oils for a distinct and vibrant flavor.

Chocolate Almond Candy

Ingredients:
1/2 cup organic, cold pressed, extra virgin coconut oil 
3 tablespoons almond butter
4 tablespoons raw cacao powder  
2 Tbsp organic blue agave nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or ¼ tsp vanilla powder
4 drops Young Living tangerine or orange essential oil

1/4 cup chopped almonds

Add orange zest, cacao nibs, coconut for other variations

Directions:

Gently warm coconut oil so it is a liquid. Stir in all remaining ingredients until smooth. Pour onto parchment or wax paper lined 9X13 pan for thin candy or 9x9 pan for thicker candy. Refrigerate or freeze until solid. Cut or break into pieces. Don't leave out for long as this candy will melt quickly if the house is warm. Store leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer to keep candy solid.

Spiced Apple Cider or Juice
Ingredients:

6 c. Apple Cider or Apple Juice - freshly juiced is great

2 c. Pineapple Juice

5 drops Clove Essential Oil

5 drops Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil

5 drops Tangerine Essential Oil

Directions:

Combine Apple cider/juice and pineapple juice in a saucepan.  Heat until warmed and remove from heat.  Add essential oils and stir.  Serve immediately.

Enjoy these new holiday favorites. 

What healthy recipes do you enjoy for special occasions?

Least Likely to Succeed?

Have you ever noticed that the characters of Advent and Christmas are NOT those probably voted “most likely to succeed”?  The Jesse tree, Jesus’ family tree, is scattered with cheaters, prostitutes, adulterers, heretics, and murderers.  Jesus certainly did not come from a prestigious, wealthy, prominent, "successful" line of ancestors. 

Sarah doubted God’s promise to give her a son. Jacob stole his brother’s birthright and later wrestled with God until he was “broken down”.  Moses fled Egypt after killing an Egyptian and had a speech problem. Rahab was a prostitute and Ruth was a widow, both probably longed for true intimacy. David, while looking like the embodiment of success, committed adultery and murder.

Of course, there were the faithful family members too, those that trusted and obeyed.  But even these don’t necessarily shout “success”.  Abraham left the comfort of his successful home to follow a promise of a new land and many descendants, later having only one son. Joseph was sold into slavery, and despite his noblest efforts, was thrown into jail. He certainly did not seem to be on the path to success. 

The birth of Jesus is filled with additional questionable characters, an innkeeper’s wife, a band of smelly shepherds and a stable filled with sweaty animals trying to keep warm. Oh, and a young couple with nothing but their “yes”.

How many of us would look on this Jesus and be impressed by his lineage, his family ties, his possessions or his circumstances? How many of us would say that he is “most likely to succeed”?

And yet, succeed He did.  He radically changed the world.  He saved the world.  He saved you and me.  He took our broken lives, our struggle with sin and defeat and gave us resurrection and hope.

Isn’t that the mystery?  How God can take crooked roads, broken people and painful situations, and bring glory and “success” out of them.   

When God looks at you and me, He does not see someone “least likely to succeed”.  He knows what we are capable of and who He has created us to be.  He knows the path we will follow, and he knows at what point we will give our “yes”, surrendering our ideas of success, and allow Him to transform our circumstances, and through us, to transform our corner of the world.

You may not have the best "family tree", but you are not defined by this or by past choices you may have made. You can give your "yes" to drawing close to the manger, to allow Emmanuel, God with us, God come down, to love you.  He came for you.  Let him love you and lead you. Your life will never be the same.

What's a Frittata?

Breakfast is one of my favorite meals of the day and I alternate between green smoothies, protein shakes, chia granola in coconut milk, and eggs. When I make eggs, I usually make a frittata.

So what is a frittata, some of you may be asking? It is a cross between an omelette and a quiche, but without the crust.  It is often made in a cast iron skillet so that it can be put in an oven to "firm up". It is gluten free, as it has no flour in it.  It does not have to be flipped like an omelette. We enjoy them so much that we even make frittatas for dinner sometimes.

Here is a typical Weiss recipe:

Weiss family Frittata
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped sweet pepper (red, orange, or yellow)
1/4 cup chopped zucchini or broccoli
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute

Optional:
1/2 cup chopped cooked white or sweet potatoes
2 Tbsp. basil leaves, cilantro or mint
6 sundried tomotoes chopped
Any assortment of veggies and herbs you like

3-4 eggs
1 Tbsp. water

Directions:
Saute vegetables in 2 - 3 Tbsp coconut oil until softer.  Beat eggs and water until fluffy.  Pour over vegetables and cook over medium low heat until eggs are starting to set around the edges.  Place cast iron skillet under broiler for another 5 - 7 minutes or until the top is set and center is cooked.

Cut into pie pieces to serve.
Enjoy!

Do you have a favorite breakfast item or recipe? Please share.
(See other breakfast ideas and recipes on past posts too)

My Son's Spicy Spinach Quinoa Salad

Tonight I was treated to a delicious salad that my 23 year old son created. I think you will be impressed.  He fashioned this salad after one that he enjoyed at Sweetgreen restaurant.

Spicy Spinach Chicken Quinoa Salad 
with Carrot Garlic Dressing
(makes 2 large salads)

4 - 5 oz fresh spinach
2 cups shredded kale or 1 cup kale chips
2 cups broccoli pieces
1 cup cooked, spiced quinoa (below)
1 cup baked chicken breast pieces (below)
1/2 raw beet grated

Toss all ingredients in a large bowl with Carrot Garlic Dressing (below). Enjoy!

Spiced Quinoa
Cook 1 cup quinoa in 2 cups water with 1/4 tsp chili powder, garlic powder and paprika.
Cool slightly before tossing in salad.

Baked Chicken
Sprinkle coconut oil, garlic powder, paprika and salt on chicken and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Cut into pieces before adding to salad.

Carrot Garlic Dressing
1/4 carrot juice
1/2 cup oil mix (7 tbps. olive oil, 1 tbsp. sesame oil)
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp agave nectar
1 Tbsp Sriracha hot chili sauce
1 tsp salt
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed

Mix all together in a shaker bottle.  Add to salad to taste.

Let me know what you think and I'll pass your comments on to my son.

Pray Me, Daddy!

This past weekend I was inspired, educated, and challenged.  I had the privilege of hearing Gary Young, founder of Young Living essential oils, share his heart and knowledge with those of us attending a conference in Michigan. He spoke about his dream for natural healing around the world, his work in creating the World Peace Caravan scheduled for December 2015, and his conviction that we are all loved by God the Father who delights in answering our prayers.

Gary founded Young Living after he personally experienced the powerful healing of pure plant oils. For over 34 years, he has researched and tested essential oils and his passion for and knowledge of essential oils is amazing. He opened my eyes to the complexity of the process of producing therapeutic essential oils from start to finish (or what YL calls Seed to Seal). His commitment to purity and integrity was evident.

The World Peace Caravan was inspired by a dream that Gary had and believes was a call from God. It will be a reenactment of the peace caravan taken by the Queen of Sheba to Solomon in 980 B.C.  The caravan will follow the same route, by foot or on camel, from Petra, Jordan to the Dead Sea, then on to Bethlehem and ending in Jerusalem. 

The purpose of the caravan is to unite people of different cultures and religions in a demonstration of cooperation and unity, to be a voice for the children of the world, and to raise money for schools, missions orphanages and health clinics in underprivileged countries. If you would like more information about the World Peace Caravan please visit worldpeacecaravan.org. 

While all the health information and details of the caravan were informative, inspiring and very useful, I was deeply touched by Gary’s personal sharing of his faith and his challenge to each of us to cultivate our relationship with God, taking time to pray and to simply ask for our needs in trust.  He shared stories of multiple times when he would tell God of a problem that he needed help with and God would wake him in the middle of the night with the solution or directions.

Gary and his wife, Mary, shared how they take time to pray as a family, to follow the example of Jesus and trust in the Father.  When one of the boys was seriously injured in a skiing accident, he turned to Gary and pleaded, “Pray me, daddy”.  Gary says they took a moment to simply tell God they needed His help. After this simple prayer, the obviously broken shoulder and elbow were mended, and this was documented with Xrays.

Gary also shared how God has opened doors for him to go to forbidden areas of world, like Oman and Somalia, to meet leaders in various countries, like Jordan, who are making the World Peace Caravan possible, and to discover new plant species in remote areas of the world that have remarkable healing properties.

I was challenged to take a look at my own faith and to ask myself if I have the confidence that God will lead, that God can and will heal, and that God has a unique purpose for my life and can use me to change the world.  Do you believe this for yourself?

Managing Christmas Stress

Preparations for Christmas create stress in our lives.  It is just a fact. We are trying to cram decorating, shopping, baking, parties and "creating warm and meaningful memories" into an already packed schedule. Most of us live a pretty busy existence, so adding more to our lives often causes us to feel inadequate, resentful and overwhelmed.

So how can we experience more peace, joy and truly make Christmas and all it's preparations a time of blessing for us and those around us?

I'd like to share a few tips that I have found to be helpful.

1) Don't neglect the things that are most important.  I try to maintain the parts of my day that I know feed my soul, body, emotions and relationships in a healthy way.

• For me, beginning the day with prayer and meditation keeps me grounded and focused on the source of my very being, my loving Father. 

• Being sure to include as much healthy food in my diet, drinking my NingXia Red each morning, creating healthy grab and go snacks, and eating very small portions of less desirable foods all help me maintain the good nutrition that I desire.

• Exercise and stretch to increase oxygen and reduce stress is so key. I tend to think that if I can't get a 30 minute workout in that I should just skip exercise for the day. After neglecting
  
  any regular exercise for almost a month, I am now rethinking this and adding 10 minutes of stretching twice a day, sitting on a balance ball while I work (even as I type this) and parking further from the door of the store to get a few more steps in.

• Protect the family dinner, date night, Bible study, or whatever nourishes your family and friend relationships.

• Choose to do good things for yourself when needed - a warm bath with lavender oil, a chapter of a good book, a few moments to "unplug" and sing Christmas carols.

• Oh, and did I mention maintaining a healthy sleep schedule? Do you try to gain more time by shaving minutes or hours off both ends of your sleeping hours? This can create exhaustion and a downhill spiral of poor choices, emotional upheaval and guilt. It just might not be worth it. You can increase the quality of the sleep that you are getting with some simple practices. I find creating a routine to wind down (like stretching, reading, praying), avoiding eating three hours before bed, and using an oil blend called Peace and Calming have all helped me to experience a deeper, more restful sleep.

2) Serve others. Help out a neighbor who can't drive to the store or do shopping anymore. Babysit for a young mother who can't get out alone very often. Help out at a soup kitchen. Donate food to a food drive. Donate blood. As St. Francis of Assisi wrote, "It is in giving that we receive". What is Christmas, but an example of our God pouring out Himself to serve us, his sons and daughters.

3) Practice gratitude.  This has been the subject of several of my blog posts, but gratitude has transformed my life and created happiness in days of darkness and struggle. There is always something to be grateful for. Taking time to consciously record things to be grateful for increases a positive attitude and can change the direction of a day "headed south".

Do you have any other practices and ideas that help you manage the holiday stress?

Dehydrating Living Food (Like Kale Chips)

Nourishing the body can be a creative adventure.  Today, I borrowed my mother's five tray dehydrator to attempt to make a few raw treats. Foods that are heated using temperatures below 115 degrees retain their enzymes, as well as their vitamins, minerals and micronutrients. This can be helpful when you are trying to eat more raw foods.

Eating a diet that is 51% raw gives a huge nutritional boost to the cells. While some foods are best eaten cooked in soups or other lower heat methods, raw foods, which most of us don't get enough of, are key to vibrant health.

Dr. Fuhrman states, "Eating lots of raw foods is a feature of a healthy diet. I always encourage people to eat more raw food. One of my common statements is — the salad is the main dish. Raw food is necessary for digestive efficiency, proper peristalsis and normal bowel function. Certain foods, especially fruit, avocado and nuts undergo significant change with cooking and are best eaten raw."

It can be a challenge to have raw food around the house without shopping regularly.  In the winter months, fresh, organic produce is a bit more scarce.  Dehydrating in season can be a great practice for having "living foods" available year round.  

Marinated dehydrated eggplant

There are many benefits to dehydrating: dehydrated foods (like sundried tomatoes) have a strong, concentrated flavor, take up less storage space, have no chemicals or preservatives, and can save you money over store bought foods, herbs and snacks. Other benefits and helpful information can be found at http://www.diynatural.com/dehydrating-food.  

I chose to use the dehydrator because I wanted to try a few new recipes.  One recipe was for a marinated eggplant dish which we ate tonight and was very good.  While making the eggplant, I decided to make some spicy kale chips which were delicious.  Kale chips are like potato chips in my house and it is difficult to eat just a few.  However, too many kale chips and the body will do a detox ritual that might involve frequent trips to the bathroom.

Here's the recipe I used for the kale chips:

Spicy Kale Chips

2 bunches of kale, washed, dried and without stems
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/8 tsp. 21 seasoning salute (Trader Joe's)
Dash of cayenne pepper (to taste)


Mix spices with oil and pour over kale leaves.  Use hands to mix thoroughly. Place in a single layer on dehydrator shelves with mesh lining.  Dehydrate for 3 - 4 hours or until dry and crisp. Store in a paper bag.  Chips will lose their crispness if the air is humid.  To re-crisp, put in dehydrator (or very low oven) for 15 minutes.

What have you tried dehydrating?  Do you have a favorite recipe or use for your dehydrated items?

101 Salads Ideas

On Saturday, I had the pleasure of trying a new restaurant called Sweetgreens, in Silver Springs, MD. It is "the location for fast and delicious food that's healthy for you". Sweetgreens specializes in serving organic soups, salads and wraps using ingredients from local farmers who are known and trusted by the restaurant.

I had a wonderful salad, as did my sister and my son. This led to a discussion about creating salads that are varied, creative and limited to 4-5 toppings or ingredients.  I find that I often make a salad for dinner and will put every vegetable in the refrigerator on it.  Instead of having a unique flavor, each of my salads end up tasting about the same.

My plan for the next month is to try to create a host of salad options that are fun, tasty and inspiring. I would love to have your recipes too.  Why not leave a couple in the comments below?

Here are a few ideas I have tried recently or am planning to try soon:

From Sweetgreens: Mesclun mix, crispy kale pieces, roasted organic turkey, roasted cubed sweet potato, shaved cauliflower, and cranberry vinaigrette (see dressing recipe below) Yum!

Spinach, pear, cashews or walnuts, and feta or gorgonzola cheese with balsamic vinaigrette.  Simple, yet elegant.

Arugula, fennel bulb sliced, pomegranate seeds, walnuts. Unusual but delicious.

Mixed greens, scallions, mandarin oranges, avocado slices, sprouts, sliced almonds. Great with ginger dressing.

Mixed salad leaves, fresh pineapple chunks, mixed sprouts, cherry tomato halves, chopped mint leaves, red onion, cucumber sliced. Serve with pineapple dressing (see below)

The dressing can truly make the salad.  Keeping unhealthy fats and sugars to a minimum means that the nutritional benefits of the salad will be maximized.  There are so many fabulous dressings that really only take a few minutes to prepare.  Here are a few great ones:

Cranberry Vinaigrette (from sweetgreen.tumblr.com)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, 12 oz cranberries, 2 cups blended oil, 1 cup water, 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard, 6 oz agave nectar, 1/2 Tbsp sea salt.  Blend all except oil and water in blender until smooth.  With blender on, slowly add oil in steady stream, then water until mixed.

Pineapple dressing (from Raw Food Diet)
1/2 cup dried pineapple, soaked 15 minutes and drained, 2 Tbsp pine nuts, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 clove garlic, minced, 3/4 cup coconut water or water, 1/2 tsp sea salt, freshly ground black pepper. Blend until smooth.  Will keep refrigerated for 2-3 days.

Ginger Shallot Dressing (from Raw Awakening)
5 Tbsp raw olive oil, 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, 2 Tbsp water, 2 Tbsp raw agave nectar, 1 Tbsp plus 1/2 tsp tamari, 1 Tbsp minced shallot (or 1 tsp onion powder), 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger (or 1 tsp ground ginger), 1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper.  Blend until creamy.  Serve over Romaine lettuce with banana slices.  Interesting, huh?

Mango Ginger Vinaigrette (from The Raw Truth)
1 ripe mango, peeled and seeded, 3 inches fresh ginger, peeled and chopped, 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 cup water, juice of 1 lemon.  Blend all in blender until smooth.  Store in refrigerator covered for up to 4 days.

The combinations of salads and dressings is limited only by your imagination. Try a new combination of greens, toppings and dressing and let us know what your favorite creation is.  I can't wait to try it!

Advent - The Ultimate Gift

Advent is a time of great potential and grace.  How many years, however, have I missed the real significance of this gift because I was caught up in all the trimmings.

An old abbot was fond of saying, ‘The devil is always the most active on the highest feast days.’  

"The supreme trick of Old Scratch is to have us so busy decorating, preparing food, practicing music and cleaning in preparation for the feast of Christmas that we actually miss the coming of Christ. Hurt feelings, anger, impatience, injured egos—the list of clouds that busyness creates to blind us to the birth can be long, but it is familiar to us all."
Edward Hays, A Pilgrim’s Almanac, p. 196

How true these words seem to me.  In a world of materialism and self-absorption, it is so true that I often get distracted and miss the gift of this season of preparation. I forget that Christ came to save me from loneliness, despair and futility. I forget to prepare my heart and to refocus my life. 

Advent is a great time to reexamine my life, to slow down and savor the truths held in each Christmas carol. I want to relish the Christmas story and the way this event can transform my life.  

Pope John Paul II challenged us to see the birth of Christ with open eyes and heart. "The natural gift of wonder God gave us as children was meant to be kept alive.…Instead we let wonder go to sleep. We entered the typical dream state of most humans.
"Why else does Jesus tell us today, ‘Stay awake!’…Advent says, ‘Wake up and realize the gifts of love you have received.’" 

While Christmas may be celebrated as "the Sparkle Season" or a celebration of Santa Claus, it's very name indicates the origin of and reason for this special day. It is a day of incredible happiness as the human race is given the ultimate gift of sacrifice and love.  

"For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him may not perish but have everlasting life."  John 3:16

Today is the first day of Advent, of our preparation for Christ's birth.  What will you do to gain a greater appreciation of God's love for you?  What will you do to reflect and share that love with others?