My Secret Weapon for All Things "GIRL"

A little over two years ago, I stumbled upon an herb that has done some amazing things for me and I now consider it my female secret weapon. Today I am sharing it with you.

Introducing Red Raspberry Leaves. -- NOT to be confused with Raspberry Ketones!

I first heard about Red Raspberry Leaves from Caroline over at The Modest Mom Blog. After reading the birth story of her fifth child, I told myself that when I became pregnant again, I would try this all-natural herb. And I did. But as I have studied more about this herb, I've learned that it does far more than just helping to ease labor pains. In fact, if you are a girl, this will help you, no matter how old or how young you are. (By the way, men can consume this too! This is safe and beneficial for the entire family, but exceptionally beneficial for female health.)

Here are just a few of the ways that RRL helps us. :)

Menstrual Cycle:
Red Raspberry Leaves are excellent for every season of a woman's life, from puberty to menopause. It eases PMS symptoms, helps regulate your cycle, and greatly reduces cramps and headaches common with that time of the month. I've always suffered from intense cramps and headaches and since I have begun taking RRL on a regular basis, they have been drastically reduced. Because of the Calcium and hormone support, it is great for young girls as their bodies begin to change.

Fertility:
RRL has been labeled a "uterine tonic" and is extremely beneficial for the female reproductive system. It is an all-natural herb that tones the uterus and lengthens the luteal phase (the period between ovulation and Day 1 of your menstruation). It works to regulate your cycle and has properties that help to strengthen the lining of the uterus which will improve the chances of implantation.

Pregnancy:
I first started taking Red Raspberry Leaves when I was full term (37 weeks) with my second child. Since then, studies have shown that RRL are safe to take in early pregnancy in small quantities. Red Raspberry Leaves can actually help to prevent a miscarriage caused by a weak uterus because its main benefit is the toning and strengthening of the uterine wall. Red Raspberry Leaves are high in magnesium (which your body blows through during pregnancy), iron, potassium, and vitamins A, B, and C. It improves sleep during pregnancy (glory be!) and because it is naturally high in B-vitamins, it fights against leg cramps and morning sickness. Red Raspberry Leaves strengthen the muscles of the uterus which works amazingly in labor because it assists in contractions, making each one accomplish more, thus making labor shorter and less painful. It also lessons the likelihood of post-partum hemorrhaging and aids in boosting milk supply.

In this post, I listed the vitamins and supplements I took while pregnant with Selah and I give the amount of milligrams I took. Be advised that I am not your OB/GYN or midwife, so always clear it with your healthcare provider before you take anything in pregnancy.

Menopause:
The hormone support in Red Raspberry Leaves makes it great for women going through menopause, as well as women who suffer from hormone imbalances. When a woman goes through menopause, estrogen levels drop and bring with it mood swings, hot flashes, and a whole slew of unpleasant side effects. Because of the Calcium in RRL, and all the other vitamins that aid in the health of the female system, hormones are replenished and the symptoms of menopause are reduced.


See why I call it my secret weapon? :) There are two ways to take Red Raspberry Leaves. You can take it in capsule form and in a tea. I typically take it in capsule form because I have never been a big tea drinker. However, RRL tea is very delicious and it's caffeine-free! So if you are a tea drinker, you can buy the tea bags from your local health food store or online. I like this brand the best, personally. You can also buy the leaves and make your tea that way. The Bulk Herb Store has a great price and they even have various mixes you can choose from (pregnancy blend, PMS blend, etc.). Or if you prefer the capsules, you can find them at any health food store or online at places like Amazon. Nature's Way brand is my personal favorite and one of the best-priced brands I have found.

So there you go! Aren't you thankful that God has given us things in nature that aid in our health? :)

Quesadillas for Kiddos

Getting vegetables into kids can be a nightmare extremely difficult. Especially if you have a finicky eater....which I do. My two kids are so different when it comes to food. Nathan, who is nearly three, is picky and sometimes it is a long, drawn-out battle to get him to eat his dinner. On the other hand, Selah, our one year old, will eat pretty much anything you put in front of her. I'm learning that if you get creative, you can get veggies in your kids without them ever suspecting a thing.

I have made vegetable quesadillas before and they have been a hit. Recently, I made them again and also created a pizza quesadilla. They were also a hit! Here is what I did:

For the pizza quesadilla, I put one tortilla on my quesadilla maker and topped it with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepperonis and, I snuck in some onions and shredded carrots. I placed another tortilla on top and cooked it until it was brown.

For the vegetable quesadilla, I made it similar to the one I'd previous shared. On the tortilla, along with cheese, I added carrots, peppers, onions, and lots of spinach. After it was cooked, we scarfed it down!

My kids loved them. Selah actually ate one of each!

For more ideas of how you can sneak veggies in your kids, check out these posts:

Carrot Cookies

Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

Juicing for Baby

Banana Pudding Cake

A few nights ago, I told Nathan that once he had his bath, I would get him a piece of cake. He looked at me with big, wide eyes and asked, "It yor birfday??"

I said, "No, it's not my birthday."

He got excited and asked, "It MY birfday??!"

*ahem* We DO eat cake on occasions other than birthdays... like on a Tuesday night. :) And this cake is a huge hit with Nathan. And with me too. Today I'm sharing it with you.

I love banana pudding. And I love cake. Why not put the two of them together, eh? :) This is a great recipe that I stumbled upon and modified. And boy, is it DELICIOUS!! Seriously. You are going to want to give this a go. Here's how you make it:

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix (& ingredients to make cake)
2 small boxes of instant banana pudding
4 c milk 20 vanilla wafers, crushed 
8 oz whipped topping (optional)
sliced bananas (optional)

First, you need to bake your cake, according to the directions on the box. After the cake has cooled, poke some holes in it. Don't forget to do this! It makes it more moist and so much tastier! Make the holes deep enough, going all the way to bottom, and enough so it's even. Next, prepare your pudding mixture. Combine the milk and the instant pudding mix, whisking until there are no lumps. Pour it all over the cake, making sure you get the pudding into the holes you've made in the cake. Cover it up! The next few steps can be done according to your preference. The original recipe says to refrigerate for a couple of hours, then top with whipped cream, crushed vanilla wafers, and sliced bananas. I cover the cake with the wafers and forgo the whipped cream and bananas. Either way is delicious! Like I said, it's simply a matter of your personal preference. Regardless, it's absolutely mouthwatering and....chock full of calories. But it's okay to indulge every now and then. :)

family update + my new favorite smoothie ingredient

Good morning, friends! I don't know about you, but the weather has been so beautiful here, even though we haven't all felt 100% to fully enjoy it.

Last week, my husband came down with bronchitis. Not fun. Never fun when your man is ill, especially when he doesn't get sick easily. But sick he was. Once he began to get better, Selah wound up getting the flu! I mean, really?! I thought flu season was over. Not fun at all. It's funny, when you think of motherhood, words like Lysol, quarantine, and 5 milliliters, don't normally come to mind. :)

Yesterday, though she was one sick little girl, she played a bit outside in the sunshine.

You wouldn't think she had fever....she's one tough cookie, that's for sure.

Nathan, thankfully, has been fine and he and I are in "prevention mode," taking lots of vitamins and things to keep us good and healthy. In other news, we are officially potty trained! Glory be. It only took 34 months, but who's counting? ;) He is doing very well and is excited about his birthday coming up next month. As for me, I seriously have an issue with him turning three, but whatever....moving on.

So, I have to tell you about my new favorite smoothie ingredient. Those who know me well know that I am a professed smoothie addict and I have tried lots of different combinations. Juicing and making smoothies are the main way I get more vitamins in my body as I'm not crazy about eating my vegetables. Ech. Anyway, I have a new favorite ingredient that I've been adding into my smoothies and I want to share it with you. 

 You ready?

Kefir. 

Say wha?? ;)

Kefir (pronounced "kee-fer") is a lot like yogurt. It's a cultured milk product. It tastes very similar but has its differences. For starters, unlike yogurt, Kefir is actually a grain and no other milk culture forms grains, so it's definitely unique.
By the way, the smoothie pictured was the one I had for breakfast yesterday. All you need is a good handful of baby leaf spinach, a banana, a couple of strawberries, a handful of ice, and about 1/2 cup of Kefir. Delicious! And loaded with healthy benefits. 

Want to know more about Kefir?

It flushes out the bad bacteria from your intestines, it regulates digestion, metabolism, and the colon. Not bad.

But there's more.

It's been proven to regulate cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Kefir grains are made up of lactose and sugar-eating bacteria, which makes it awesome for diabetics and even those who are lactose intolerant. It's been said that it promotes an overall sense of well-being. That's good for those who deal with anxiety, depression, or hypertension.

Do your own research and you will find lots of more information about the benefits of Kefir. I found it in the milk section of our grocery store. :) 

Easy Banana Bread Recipe

• 3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed (I used three) 
  1/3 cup melted butter 
  1 cup sugar (they say you can easily use 3/4 cup, I went with a cup) 
  1 egg, beaten 
  1 teaspoon vanilla 
  1 teaspoon baking soda 
  1/4 teaspoon salt 
  1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
  dash of cinnamon (optional)
  nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Mash your bananas and slowly add in each ingredient, ending with the flour. Mix well. Pour into a greased and lightly floured pan, bake for an hour, and voila! You've got yourself some delicious banana bread!

An Easy Way to Make Cinnamon Pumpkin Seeds

My husband Grant loves pumpkin seeds so yesterday when I was making pumpkin puree (recipe to come soon!) I made him some cinnamon pumpkin seeds. YUM! Today I am sharing the recipe with you.

Ingredients:

2 cups pumpkin seeds (cleaned, rinsed and patted dry)

2 to 3 tbsp. butter, melted

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 tbsp. brown sugar

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. 

Other than getting all the pumpkin goo off of the seeds and washing them (which is a bit time consuming), the whole process was very easy. First, you pick all the seeds out of the goo.

Then you wash them up. I filled my sink with water and washed all of them together in there.

Then lay your seeds on a towel. 

Once the seeds are dry, put them in your bowl of sugar, butter, cinnamon, and salt and coat,

Next place them on a baking sheet lined with foil or saran wrap.

Cook for 20-25 minutes

Allow to cool, then enjoy!

Orange Berry Smoothie

It is no secret that I love smoothies. Planet Smoothie's Captain Kid is one of my all-time favorite smoothies EVER. Ever. This smoothie is my attempt at duplicating it. :)

3 cutie oranges

3 large strawberries (not pictured)

1/4 tsp Glucomannan powder

1/2 C Almond Milk

1 tsp Why protein powder

handful of ice

Blend together in blender, pour, and enjoy! :)

Pita Bread Pizza

My little boy LOVES pizza. He's like his momma. :) I have been trying to revamp our diet, to exclude all white flour and sugars and introducing more healthy, whole foods. It's a slow, work in progress, but I am enjoying giving my family healthier meals.

Getting back to pizza. Yeah, my son loves it. And I do too. A lot. But I decided to try a healthy alternative.

Introducing...........

Doesn't that look yummy? And get this - it is healthy. I'm serious. Now, hasn't your day just been made? The first step is the crust. It's really not the toppings on pizza that is unhealthy for us. It's the crust; that delicious, buttery, thick, bread crust. Yeah, it's not all that conducive for our overall health. To replace it, I used Lavash pita bread which is thin, delicious, and has a low glycemic index, which is the foundation for our new diet lifestyle. You can find Lavash bread at your local health food store. The rest of the ingredients can be found at any grocery store. 

• Lavash pita bread
• Hunts pasta sauce
• All Natural shredded skim Mozzarella cheese
• Pepperonis 
• Your choice of other toppings (vegetables, meat, etc.)

I cut the pita bread into small squares, easy for little hands to hold. Spread the pasta sauce onto the pitas and put them into the oven (at 350) until they are slightly hard. It should take only a few minutes. Remove from the oven and add your cheese and other toppings. Place the pizza back into the oven and turn the broiler on for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

And that's it, friend! Enjoy this quick and easy (oh and delicious!) pita pizza.

Flourless Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

{that's a mouth-full}

Those that know me well know that I cannot -- I repeat, cannot -- turn down a homemade chocolate chip cookie. Especially a hot one. My husband and I are trying to loose some weight. I still have 10 lbs I need to loose. I have slowly started omitting white flour and sugar. Let me just say, if you have spent your whole life using white sugar and white flour, then it can be a life-changer when you stop. Anyway, yesterday I was craving chocolate chip cookies. I mean, BAD! So I did some digging and found a recipe, tweaked it a bit, and here is the result!

1 cup creamy almond butter (I used Justin's brand)
2/3 cup sugar (I recommend Stevia, Truvia, or what I used - Xylitol)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon Glucomannan powder
1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).

In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the almond butter and sugar. Mix in the egg, vanilla, baking soda, salt, and Glucomannan powder until evenly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop cookies by the tablespoon onto a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for at least 5-10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely. Yields about 16 cookies

I think I know what is on you mind. What in the world is Glucomannan powder?? Am I right? Yeah, I didn't know what it was either.

Don't worry, if you don't have it, the cookies still comes out delicious. I have only recently been introduced to Glucomannan and the benefits are amazing! You can pretty much only find this powder online. I bought it from Swanson Vitamins. It's a bit pricey but it will last you a long time and it is packed with fiber and other great health benefits. It is made from the Asia root, Konjac, and has NO carbs, NO fats, and is an amazing thickener that you can use for pudding, smoothies, and even ice cream! It is used for weight loss, type 2 diabetes, blood sugar control, and lowering cholesterol. It also helps curb appetite and makes you feel fuller. So yeah, it's worth the investment. :)

Like I said, if you don't have it (and you probably do not), you can still make these yummy cookies! Happy cooking! :)

Freezing Figs For Later

Currently I am living with my sweet in-law family as my husband and I build our house. And they have a garden! ---totally cannot wait to have my own garden! They also have two fig trees!

I want to make some fig preserves and some strawberry-fig jam, but I'm limited on space and I don't have my caning supplies on hand as they are all still in storage. I just can't handle watching the figs fall off the tree! What?!? NO! After reading that figs can be frozen for up to 6 months, I decided to do the following. So, if you are short on time or are in a position similar to mine, here is something you can do.

Go pick the figs

my sweet Nathan helping me out

had to snap this classic picture of Selah watching us

sweet girl

counting the figs we picked

Wash them up

Dry them and place them on a parchment paper covered baking sheet

Freeze! Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag or container and store until you are ready!

Italian Chicken Packets

Monday night I tried a new recipe. Oh my yum. It was delicious, simple, and I will definitely be making it again!

photo credit

Ingredients

• 4 cups frozen broccoli cuts
• 1 can (14.5 oz each) Hunt's® Diced Tomatoes
• 1/2 cup light Italian dressing
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Directions
Preheat oven to 450°F. Combine broccoli, drained tomatoes and dressing in medium bowl. For each packet, lay two 20x12-inch sheets of regular foil on top of each other. Place 1 chicken breast on each foil packet. Spoon broccoli and tomato mixture equally over each chicken breast. Bring up short sides of each foil packet and double fold top. Double fold both ends to seal each packet, leaving space for steam to gather. Place packets on baking sheet; bake 20 to 25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in centers (165°F). Carefully open ends of packets to allow steam to escape before fully opening.