Looking Past Rotten and Seeing Potential

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I See Potential!!!

Now that is an opener for you…I have to say that I absolutely love rotten fruit…well, not completely over the top rotten…but most definitely very over-ripe, brown tinged, fragrant sitting on my counter fruit.  What do I see???  I see potential…I see that with some blending and mixing that I can create wonderful healthy foods.  I look past the rotten and into the beautiful creation of OMG…this is over the top fabulous (one of my fav words) and so good for me.  YES…I even maintain a positive attitude about rotten fruit…do I toss it…NO WAY…it has potential…potential to become something better than before. This can apply to who I am as a person as well…when I was injured…did I toss in the towel…throw myself away….give-up…NO, NO, and again…NO. I saw potential with a little mixing and blending of different therapies and exercise, I DID become better than I was.  So, YES…do I go over the top about such things as rotten, over-ripe fruit…well...YES…that is ME.  I savor every small thing in life because they are truly the big things…and tonight…the rotten overripe fruit is the BIG thing that I am going to create something very special with. 

What Do You See?

 I also think…why throw away a perfect piece of rotten fruit…OH MY…what a waste of $$$$...and I am not about doing that.  In fact, as I have shared in the past, I am all about saving every penny I can, clipping that coupon, and the deals…RIGHT…who does not want a DEAL.  OK…off that save money by saving the rotten fruit soap box.  Getting back to what I am doing with two rotten bananas and pears…creating another version of my Stay Healthy Omega Muffin.  If you have been following me, you know my passion for creative Stay Healthy cooking and baking.  It is truly therapy for me.  After a long work day, I find it so much fun to make a B-line to the kitchen and let the juices flow…no pun intended…but in a way…YES.  Having a passion in life is so important with the balance of who I am….I truly enjoy working in my passion which to me is not really working.  My sharing of Stay Healthy recipes is also a way I can reach out and motivate people to please get healthy and Stay Healthy with the one life that we all have.  So…if that means saving rotten fruit and sharing what can be done to create healthy snacks…I will click on that video to do just that…share my passion for cooking, share the enjoyment of healthy baking, and showing the outcome of living this way….PRICELESS.  I hope that this Blog comes to mind the next time you have rotten overripe fruit on your counter…and can look past the blemishes and into the potential that something better can happen with a little blending and mixing.

Motivation of the Day: You Do Not Have to Get an “A” Everyday ~ a Great Client Share

Workout of the Day:

Cardio Time: 45 Minutes ARC Trainer

Ended with Ball Work for my Core/Stretch

Stay Healthy Omega Muffins

Nutrition of the Day:

Coffee, one cup

Stay Healthy Banana Omega Muffin

Post Workout Shake & ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds

Egg Whites, palm of raw nuts, watermelon slice

Grilled Salmon

Stay Healthy Banana Pear Omega Muffin x 2 ~ fresh baked from the oven

Here to Motivate YOU!!!!

IF YOU ENJOYED MY BLOG, LIKE IT, LEAVE A COMMENT, AND IF INSPIRED…OFFER ME A PROTEIN SHAKE!

Stay Healthy!

I Made Bread! It Was Easy. You Can Too.

You know when it's August, but your iPod thinks it's December, and it plays "Do They Know it's Christmas," and you find yourself silently mouthing "Tonight thank god it's them, instead of YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUU" at a nice Asian man who clearly thinks you're about to steal his bag of lychees?

I love that.

I also love bread, but have never in my whole puff attempted to make it until this summer, assuming it was roughly as complicated as re-wiring the Hadron Collider. Then, it dawned on me that, a few years ago, Mark Bittman  published a recipe for five-minute, idiot-proof, no-knead artisan bread. It's since been updated and refined by half the population of Guam, but the essentials are there: four ingredients, a bowl, a pot, and time. So I tried it myself, and whaddayaknow? It's the best. Seriously. In all seriousness. Squared. I will eat this and nothing else until I die, presumably, of choking on bread.

Here's how you make it. (Do it! We'll have a bread party.)

First, gather your ingredients. They are:

• 3 cups of bread flour


• 1 little packet of active dry yeast


• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt


• 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water

If you plan on making this baby a lot in the future, bite the $4 bullet and purchase a package of yeast from CostCo or something. It is approximately four billion times cheaper than buying it envelope by envelope, a.k.a What I'm Currently Doing.

Second, you get a large, non-reactive mixing bowl and combine your dry ingredients, a.k.a. The Ingredients You Didn't Get From the Tap.

Third, add water and stir until it becomes a spongy, dough-like mass, a.k.a. Mr. Squishy. Don't overstir, or something bad will happen. I'm not exactly sure what, but aren't you scared now?

Fourth, cover that baby. With plastic and rubber bands. Then, leave it out for at least four hours, but for as long as several days, refrigerating after those first 240 minutes. (Note: The longer it sits, the better it will taste. I've gone up to three days.) If you have a cat that's prone to eating dough (er, not that I know any cat like that) ...

... hide it somewhere, like the Cave of Caerbannog, where it will be guarded by a rabbit so foul, so cruel, that no man (or cat) has yet fought with it and lived.

A cabinet will also be sufficient.

Eventually, your dough will expand like crazy, to about three times its former size. It will also appear softer and slightly wetter. (Note cat in lower part of photo, stalking wet dough for potential lunching. His lobotomy is scheduled for tomorrow.)

Fifth, cover a clean cooking surface (a counter, mayhaps) with a thin sheen of olive oil. Turn the dough out on to the surface, and fold it over two or three times. Cover everything with plastic wrap, and let it sit at least 30 minutes, but for up to 2 hours. If it's been refrigerated, it must be given enough time to come to room temperature. It must!

Sixth, while the dough lounges around, move your oven rack to the lower third of your oven. Then, preheat that sucker to 450 degrees F. Grab a pot or Dutch oven, cover it, and stick it in there, to warm along with the oven.

This is mine. It's a 3-quart hard anodized piece of Calphalon, but I'm fairly sure any sizable, oven-safe covered pot will do. (Have doubts about yours? Look it up on the interwebs.)

Seventh, once everything is good to go, CAREFULLY remove the hot pot from the oven and VERY CAREFULLY place the dough into it. SUPER CAREFULLY cover it, and COLOSSALLY CAREFULLY place it back into your oven. Bake for 30 minutes. I CAN'T EVEN EXPRESS HOW CAREFULLY YOU SHOULD remove the cover. Bake an additional 15 minutes, or until the top of your bread is nicely browned. If you see it starting to burn, get it out of there.

Eighth, flip the bread out on to a wire cooling rack. It should look something like this:

And one more time, in black and white, for posterity:

Ninth, once it's cool enough to handle, eat that bread. It may seem like a big loaf at first, but I promise on all that is good and pure, none of it will go to waste. Here's the above loaf, 30 seconds later:

And finally:

Happy baking!

Home Made Gold Fish Crackers

So sometimes every day average, totally normal people sit around all day long and think about making goldfish crackers from scratch. It happens all the time. These same people stay up  night after night dreaming about where to find the perfect goldfish cookie cutter. How cute it will be and how much they their children will love and appreciate the cuter and healthier version of goldfish crackers. So then, it goes without saying that taking 200 pictures of the gold fish cracker making process and the finished project is not only a given but absolutely mandatory. Normal behavior. Right?




This is really so simple {I should stop saying that since that's really pretty much the point of this blog} I know it's ever so tempting to pick up a big box of goldfish crackers for an easy 'Go To' snack for your kids. But it's really just not healthy. Period. All of those processed foods, dyes and preservatives add up in a BIG way. For the most part we eat a variety of fruits and veggies and a lesser amount of nuts and cheeses for easy snacks around here. Simple, no box required. I occasionally make simple, home made snacks like these Cheddar-Sweet Potato crackers just to mix things up.

This is a 'sneaky' way to get whole grains and veggies (vitamins) into your and your children's daily
diet. These are cute and fun to put into lunch bags and my kids love them. I think you will too.





Cut them into any shape you want or make as cheesy bread sticks!

I've found that using a pointed pie server is easiest to transfer cookies and crackers to the baking sheet.

Tip:

Buy a big block of cheese and grate it yourself. It takes just a few seconds with a food processor

 and you'll save a ton of money.

You will need

These are soft and poofy and cheesy and adorable all at the same time.

Sweet Potato- Cheddar Crackers

You Will Need:

1 1/2 cups mashed sweet potato (about 2 medium)

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I used freshly grated but you could use the good ol canned variety)

1 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (or any other cheese you like)

1/4 cup softened butter (NOT melted) 

1 1/2 cups Whole Wheat flour (I use unbleached, white whole wheat flour)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Turmeric (optional)

1/4 cup half-and-half or whole milk

Directions:

Boil a whole sweet potato for 40-50 minutes until easily pierced with a fork. Drain water and remove skin with a fork or tongs. Keeping the skin on while cooking retains vitamins. Mash with a potato masher or in a blender till smooth.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine the cheese, butter, sweet potato puree, flour, and salt in a stand mixer.

Mix on a medium speed until the mixture forms a sandy consistency. Add the half-and-half and knead into a ball. Do not over knead.  On a lightly floured surface roll the dough into a rectangle that is 1/8-inch thick. Cut out crackers into desired shape.

Gently transfer the strips to a parchment paper lined cookie sheet with a 1/4-inch between them.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the ends are barely browned. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack to cool.

Store in a covered container in a cool place. Dough will freeze well so make extra. ;)

NOTE: I found that my crackers took about 20 minutes to cook for some reason. Just check them regularly and remove from oven when they just barely start to brown around the edges. Transfer immediately to a wire rack so they don't get soggy.

What's your favorite "Go To" snack?

This post is linked to:

Tasty Tuesday's

What's Cooking Wednesday's

Meatless Monday's

For the Kids Friday's

I Wear a String Everyday

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I Wear A String!!!

I absolutely LOVE my string…when I wear it, I feel strong, balanced, and sexy.  I would not go anywhere without it…I wear it all day long when I am at home or on the go.  It is so important for my everyday functions for work and play.  So….what the heck am I talking about…the String…really Darla…my string is my imaginary connection to the ceiling from my upper chest that maintains correct posture all the time.  My body just like all bodies is adaptable to the functions it performs.  If I were to sit all day slouched into my computer, standing with my shoulders slumped forward, driving all crooned into the dash board, or hunched over cardio equipment…YIKES…would I be in serious muscle dysfunction.  My anterior muscles of the chest, front deltoids (shoulders), neck muscles, and even core would become tight and adapt to that position…YUCK for the lungs as well…all crunched up and not able to deliver great oxygen supply to my body…OK..NO WAY. 

Do I have my String On?

  Also, do I want to be a person who stands humped over…OK...BIG NO…not healthy, not sexy, not ME.  Let’s talk about what would happen to my back muscles…overstretched & loose to accommodate the slump…Forget it people…NO WAY.  So, I prefer to pretend that my string is attached to the ceiling from my sternum area just like a puppet…walking, working, exercising, sitting, standing, driving all in perfect posture and to maintain great body balance & avoid muscle tissue dysfunction.   

Posture Check

This is not about being vain & cocky walking with my chest puffed out…certainly not about that…it is about beautiful posture.  I have talked with so many women especially who want to hide let’s say large breasts or small breasts so they adjust their posture to ensure that all is hidden…OK…on a soap box here…STOP DOING THAT!!!!  All bodies are genetically different and we need to embrace that, stop hiding, and LOVE who we are and please start wearing that FABULOUS STRING…get that chest out, walk proud, be confident, accept yourself…and feel on top of the world.  I have to admit when I first starting wearing my string it was a conscious effort of maintaining it all the time.  I had to constantly check myself and before long, it became automatic, and is now a part of what I do to maintain my 47 year young physique.  When I wear it I can feel my core contracted and strong, the ability to take large full breaths filling my tissues with fabulous oxygen, confidence and of course...I feel very tall…lol.  Such an important topic….posture… and now you know the secret behind my STRING…it is FABULOUS and part of my Stay Healthy Life and the BEST part…now you can wear one;)

Motivation of the Day: “The greatest mistake you can make in life is to continually be afraid you will make one.”

Workout of the Day: (neck is flared :/ so limited on the upper body this week)

ARC Trainer 45 min

Body Stuff:

Variety body weight legs

Squats/variety lunges/step ups: 20 reps each exercise x 4

Nutrition of the Day: (Enjoy the Video)

Coffee: Great one cup on an early morning

Protein Shake

Pumpkin Seeds & Home-made Protein cookie

Post- Workout Shake (watermelon)

Egg Salad on Thin bun

Grilled Chicken Breast Patty & Corn (Super YUM!!!)

IF YOU ENJOYED MY BLOG, LIKE IT, LEAVE A COMMENT AND IF INSPIRED, OFFER ME A PROTEIN SHAKE!!

Stay Healthy!

Soap's Dirty Little Secret

photo via CNN Health

Have you ever given a second thought to the type of soap you use? Do you like a pretty floral or fruity smelling soap? Do you prefer an anti-bacterial one? Is price your main concern?

I've seen people over the years stock up on anti-bacterial soaps and hand sanitizers in hopes of evading illnesses and germs.  I thought I'd touch base on the truth about anti-bacterial and other soaps. I'm glad to see more people steering clear of anti-bacterial soaps these days because they are just not necessary and cause more harm than good. 


Why?  

Antibacterial products leave surface residues, creating conditions that may foster the development of resistant bacteria and lower the resistance of your immune system.  Keeping things clean is great, but all these antibacterial products are overkill and counterproductive. Furthermore, they are chemical laden and extremely drying and harsh on your sensitive skin.


Antibacterial soaps don't work any better than regular soap. They do prevent illness in health care settings, where patients are more vulnerable to germs. But the antibacterial ingredients in hospital-strength soaps are up to 10 times the concentration of store-bought soap.

Also, antibacterial ingredients don’t kill viruses, which cause the vast majority of minor illnesses people experience. That includes colds, the flu, and stomach bugs.

Most soaps contain synthetic ingredients such as fragrances, added color and stabilizers.

Did You Know?

Soap in and of itself does not rid your skin of germs. The act of friction and length of time you wash is what gets rid of dirt and germs. I have my kids slowly sing the ABC's while they wash their hands as fast as they can, then we say goodbye to the germs as we wash them down the sink. Aim for at least 30 seconds of vigorous scrubbing before you rinse.


So what kind of soap is best?

Any mild, natural or Organic soap is best for your skin, the environment and your long-term health.



What is glycerin soap?

Glycerin absorbs water from the air and attracts moisture to the skin. When used in combination with the proper essential oils, you get a moisturizing soap which can also restore and heal damaged skin and hair.

Glycerin itself is more valuable than soap because it acts as an emollient and humectant, which means it moisturizes skin and draws moisture to the skin's surface.

Organic soap makers usually leave the glycerin in the soap, which makes it considerably less drying than non-organic soap. Companies that mass produce soap generally remove the glycerin to use it in more profitable cosmetic products such as face creams and body lotions.

So does that mean it's more expensive? Not really. Especially if you are buying those pretty fragrance soaps at the mall or any liquid pump soap. Sorry to burst your bubble {pun intended}.

I switched to bar soap which has saved us a TON of money. Especially with 4 kids in the house

 who seem to go through a bottle of soap in a few days. Bubbles are fun.
A bar of soap lasts much longer than liquid soap and works just as well.

Bar Soap - $1.89   vs.   Liquid - $3.99

Clearly Natural Soaps

  

Three of my favorite brands:

Tom's of Maine   Runs around $3.00 for a bar.  I've seen Tom's at most grocery stores that have a 'specialty' section.

Trader Joe's  Liquid Glycerin Soap - Runs around $2.80 for a 12.5 oz. bottle. I love how incredibly gentle and moisturizing this soap is! It smells so fresh and clean too. Trader Joe's is an extremely
eco-conscience retailer as well so you just can't go wrong here.

Trader Joe's  Oatmeal and Honey Bar Soap.  Not only is this all natural, eco-friendly, moisturizing and smells wonderful, it cost less than $2.00 for TWO bars!  Score!  

Some information gathered from

Asparagus Soap
Pioneer Thinking
Livestrong
Scientific America
WebMD