Creative Counterpart

So, I wanted to share with you all what changes my family has been making in our diet to aid in our new whole foods approach to eating. I think that more than anyone in our household, I have felt the biggest difference physically and emotionally of our new way of eating.

Last week we had gotten sloppy and ate a lot of fast food. I felt yucky almost all week, and I knew it was because we had been eating heatlhy and slipped back into this habit of eating junk. I felt physically drained and couldn’t step off of the emotional roller coaster. I was just plain cranky.

This week I just sat down and wrote out a list of enough breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack ideas for 14 days that only included healthy options. No high fructose corn syrup, no highly processed junk. I shared before some of the changes we had made. For example, we eat as many whole grains as possible. We only use real butter now. But I wanted to share some specific meals we have been eating and some of the options that I have found to be an easy switch for our family.

Most things we eat only needed to be adapted in a healthier way. This includes what types of meats, oils, grains, etc we buy. We try to buy as natural of meats as we can afford, we only use peanut or olive oil for baking and frying, and we buy as many whole grains as possible.

Specifically, I wanted to share some of our new favorite products. For something quick and easy, Annie’s homegrown organic macaroni and cheese is great for the kids at lunchtime. It doesn’t inlclude junk colorings and preservatives, and it’s really good! It’s also highly affordable at my walmart. They also make a range of other products such as crackers and cereal.

We also love Nature’s Pride bread. I had been searching for a bread without high fructose corn syrup and tons of additives, and finally found this brand at Hyvee.

We’ve incorporated as much fresh fruits and vegetables into our diet as possible. I’ve also been making most of our baked goods at home, including cookies, muffins, brownies, etc. I can throw in all of the fresh fruits and vegetables I want into them, and I also mix in whole wheat flour and flax seed, making for a much more nutritious alternative to highly processed store-bought baked goods.

We’ve been making a lot of stir fry here lately with all of the fresh veggies. I found that Kikkoman soy sauce is a great choice because it is also free of all of the extra preservatives and  garbage in other brands.

And just to throw out some ideas to others on this journey, I’ll list some typical foods we’ve been eating daily.

Breakfast: Bananas, eggs and cheese, cheerios (plain) with milk, toast (nature’s pride bread).

Snacks: Fresh fruit (kiwi, peaches, bananas, etc), cheerios, raisins, popcorn (plain kernels popped on the stove in peanut or olive oil)

Lunch: Annie’s mac & chz, tortilla chips, sandwiches w/ butter

Supper: stir fry, nachos w/ homemade cheese sauce, runza casserole (with homemade biscuit crust), spaghetti, tacos, pizza, etc.

I adapted a better for you brownies recipe to fit a whole foods lifestyle and wanted to share.

Better For You Brownies

1     cup butter
1      cup honey
1      cup sugar (or another 3/4 cup honey or other sweetener)
2     teaspoons vanilla
4     eggs
1/4   cup milk
3/4     cup cocoa
1     cup whole wheat flour
1/2     teaspoon baking powder
1/4     teaspoon sea salt
1     cup chopped nuts or sunflower kernels (optional)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease 13×9×2 inch baking pan.
3. Melt butter in microwave.
4. Stir in honey, sugar, vanilla, milk, & cocoa.
5. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
6. Add flour, baking powder and salt; beat until well blended.
7. Stir in nuts, if desired.
8. Pour batter into pan.
9. Bake 30-35 minutes.

Can hormonal birth control cause miscarriage or early term abortion? I have noticed a recent trend on the internet. Many sources are saying that “the pill” or Hormonal birth control is not associated with an increase risk in miscarriage. What they don’t say is what pharmaceutical companies and doctors know is true. Hormonal birth control, which includes The birth control pill, the patch, the birth control shot, IUD, etc, can and do cause miscarriage/abortion. So, let’s look at some facts.

Web MD states,

If you become pregnant with an IUD in place, your doctor will recommend that the IUD be removed. This is because the IUD can cause miscarriage or preterm birth (the IUD will not cause birth defects). Taking out an IUD early in a pregnancy lowers risks of miscarriage or preterm birth. But IUD removal can also cause a miscarriage. As a pregnancy progresses, miscarriage risk is lower if an IUD is removed than if it is left in place. ¹

Here is a short documentary about the birth control pill and informed consent. For the full length documentary, visit 28daysonthepill.com

The other night, I had some peas from our Garden that I wanted to prepare. I decided to make a yummy stir fry. Here is what I did:

You will need:

• Cooked Rice
• Peas, Shredded carrots, onion, and any other veggies you want to use.
• Cooked Pinto Beans
• Oil (Olive Oil or Peanut oil work well and are whole food options) OR Butter
• Soy sauce

First saute some green onion in butter, then add shredded carrots & peas. Saute until the vegetables start to cook well.

Then, add the pinto beans. Stirring often, saute until the vegetables are close to done. You can cook the vegeatables as crispy or soft as you like.

Pushing the veggies to the side of the pan and adding more butter and soy sauce, I add the rice and begin stirring constantly until the rice is hot.

Serve with soy sauce and enjoy!

I also made some Homemade sourdough bread. This recipe turned out a little too sour for my families liking, although we do enjoy it with some honey on it to sweeten it up.

I’ll be looking around for a different sourdough bread recipe that my family will enjoy more as a sandwich type bread.

It’s finally here! Yesterday I picked up Nourishing Traditions from my local library. I have been waiting for it to arrive from Inter-Library loan for about 1 week. I’ve been so excited to read it, because I wanted to get started on the basics of changing my family’s eating habits.

If you havn’t already read it, Nourishing Traditions is way more than just a cookbook. It is full of studies and research findings that challenge our modern nutritional thinking and the “politically correct” nutrition that we have been taught. It brings us back to the traditions of our grandparents and great grandparents nutrition, introducing more whole fats back into our diet  that kept our forefathers healthy and nourished.

We now use full fat butter and cream instead of margerine. Surprisingly, even many modern day doctors are willing to admit that margerine and vegetable oil spreads are detrimental to our health. We aim to avoid prepackaged foods, soft drinks, frozen foods, and fast foods which often contain large amounts of sugar, hight fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated and highly processed vegetable oil, and refined flour. Other dangerous ingredients include MSG and hydrolyzed protein, both known neurotoxins that serve as dangerous substitutes for properly made meat broths.

This book is full of wonderful recipes for making your own dairy cultures (buttermilk, yogurt, etc), condiments (replacing commercial junk condiments), meat stocks, desserts, main dishes, and loads of other recipes supporting a whole foods. I love the list of Superfoods in the back that can be used as natural supplements, as opposed to vitamins that can cause nutrient imbalances. Three of these superfoods that I would like to implement are cod liver oil, kelp, and evening primrose oil (which I have taken during pregnancy.)

I highly recommend this book to ANYONE. I could go on about the information contained in this book, but it would be pointless. I could not do the book justice; And well, you just have to read it for yourself. It has changed my entire outlook on how I cook for and nourish my family.

A couple of days ago, my friend Ruth @ But First We have Coffee posted a video of Mary Tocco, an influential woman in their decision to not vaccinate their children.

Last year, before our second son was born, I had done a small bit of research about vaccines. Mainly I had found that some vaccines were manufactured by using aborted baby tissue, and was disgusted. We were in such a busy time in our lives and I didn’t feel I had the capacity to fight with my doctor to obtain vaccines that did not contain aborted baby tissue. We have vaccinated our second son thus far.

But Ruth was right; Mary Tocco’s videos are very eye opening and informing. She is a wealth of information that the average parent is not aware of concerning vaccines. The scariest part of her videos to me is when she talks about Thimerisol. Thimerisol is a form of Mercury that is used as a perservative and sanitizer in vaccines. She talks about the fact that Pregnant and nursing mothers are warned not to ingest too much mercery from fish, etc; But then we are injecting large amounts of mercury into pregnant mothers and newborn babies. Mercury is a highly toxic metal that causes liver failure, poisoning, and brain death in significant amounts.

You can visit Mary Tocco’s website Childhoodshots.com . Another great website is Thinktwice.com . Mary Tocco is an independent researcher (which means nobody pays her to do this) and has dedicated her life’s work to traveling and doing speaking engagements about vaccines. You can click on the video above and it will take you to youtube.com. The rest of her videos are in the sidebar there.

So, I’ve been contemplating the last couple of days whether to creat a new blog @ blogger.com. I Like the name creative counterpart and all, it’s just that I feel like I need something fresh, and something a little more catching and “me”. I’m a little frustrated with Wordpress (unhosted). I havn’t a way to host my blog at the moment (unless I talk up a friend of mine into letting me borrow some hosting space).

I just feel restricted here. I also know that I want to share my heart more on my blog. I want my theme to reflect who I am and what I have to share, that is why I feel so stuck.

Any Ideas?

……

I tried Tae-Bo for the first time today. Oh my goodness! I couldn’t even finish the first workout video. I was sweating like a banshee. Maybe it’s just the thing I need to whip myself into shape. My weight loss to date is 21 lbs! Weight watchers is really working for me. I just have to keep up the work and stay away from the junk.

Last week, I decided to start using the Weight Watchers point system to lose weight and keep track of what I am eating. I’m excited to say that so far it has been fairly easy for me to follow and I am looking forward to making this a new lifestyle.  I am able to eat the foods that I love in moderation, and I’ve been adding healthier options to my diet to keep within my points range. I have learned so much about what I had been eating in one week, and how easy it is to change that. I do not feel deprived in the least, and can even still enjoy ice cream! Here is  sample of what I ate today:

Dijon tuna salad 2
2 slices bread 2
carrots 0
1 cup pretzels 2

(6)

south beach living bar 2
2 curves bars 2
1 cup grapes 1
4 fig bars 4

(9)

1 square lasagna 9
1 garlic toast 4
salad w/ salad spritzers & 1 tbsp crunchy toppings 0

(13)

I am allowed 41 points a day because I am nursing; And believe me, you need those extra points when you are nursing because it makes you HUNGRY. The points system has helped me to think about every single bite I take, and whether I really need it or not (and whether I can afford to eat it that day).  And, I would have to say that using the points system does not have to be expensive. Yes, I have spent a little extra money to buy some things such as curves bars and wish bone salad spritzers. But, all in all, it’s just about looking for the healthier options. I find that I am eating less of the junk food that we spend money on each trip to the grocery store. A bag of salad, some grapes, and some carrots cost nearly the same as a bag of chips, pretzels, or a package of cookies.

If you visit me, I would like to hear about your journey to staying healthy and fit. Has anything worked well for you? Please share it with me. If you use the weight watchers point system, what low point foods do you enjoy most?

I thought I would share another little recipe from our gluten-free adventure. Since starting this new diet, I found out that Rice Chex are now gluten-free. You can find a whole page of gluten-free recipes on their website. Something I have indulged in as a child is what I call “puppy chow”. Other’s might know this as Muddy Buddies or Monkey Munch. I thought it’d be a fun treat for me to throw together this week on our diet adventure.. and I even got little man to pose with his “chocolate” as he so excitedly exclaims!

In an attempt to figure out what is causing our son’s digestive problems and iron deficiency, my husband and I have put him on a gluten-free diet for the moment. I have taken hold of this challenge and consider it a new life experience and an opportunity to acquire new skills in preparing food. I hope to share some of my gluten-free findings with you on my blog. First off, I’d like to share a great peanut butter cookie recipe that is just slightly crunchier than the flour variety, and super easy. Enjoy!

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

(Recipe from Gluten Free Girl)

One cup creamy peanut butter
One cup white sugar
One teaspoon baking powder
One egg

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Cream the peanut butter and sugar in a bowl. (As much as I love my KitchenAid, I have found that this is a hand-stirring job). Beat in the baking powder. Add the egg. Mix until it is all well combined.

The dough will be sticky, so be prepared to get your hands messy. Roll some dough into a ball. (How big? That depends on you. I have found, however, that the smaller these cookies are, the better they hold together. Eat two instead of one!) Roll the ball into white sugar. Line a baking sheet, covered in parchment paper, with sugary balls of dough. Press down with fork.

Bake in the oven for about ten minutes. You will know the cookies are done when they feel coherent, but still a little soft. Take the tray out of the oven and let the cookies rest for at least five minutes. Afterwards, carefully transfer them to a cooling rack. After ten minutes or so, they will have hardened and be glistening with sugar.

Eat them.

Makes ten to twelve cookies.