Reading Resources, Meal Planning Helps & 0-Balance Budget Recap

FAMILY
I woke up to a sunny day and a "couple" of ducks (one female, one male) walking thru my lawn this morning. They walked right up to our window! I wanted to grab my camera, but I had literally just gotten out of bed & didn't have time. Plus, I didn't want to miss anything! I determined that today was going to be a brighter day! :) If you've never heard the song "Brighter Day" by Kirk Franklin, it's sure to pull you out of that "funky" mood, we can sometimes get into (especially when we're pregnant and hormones are running high!) Enjoy the video below...

Homeschool
Since we've decided to go the Homeschool route, I've started adding a few things loosely into our routine. I've been doing (homemade) letter sound flash cards with my 4-year old DD from the book, "How to Teach Your Child to Read in 10 Minutes a Day" and she's really picking it up fast! She already knows the proper sounds of 5 letters and can successfully read 8 words and 1 sight word. I've honestly only done the flash cards with her a couple of times! She's even able to pick these words out of books and read them, when we're reading stories at bedtime. It's pretty impressive!

A friend's mom from preschool also recommended a FREE website that helps children learn to read through playing games online. DD is loving it! They have everything from learning your ABC's to full blown reading. Click here to try it out!


FITNESS/FOOD
Last night I had my first "high" blood sugar reading (besides the Ketones) after dinner. :(

Lesson Learned: NEVER trust a recipe's nutrition facts!

The recipe had stated that it served 4 and that the carb content was a little over 2 options per serving. WRONG! It was WAY more than that and I ended up with a "high" reading. However, the food was yummy!

Quinoa Primavera with Chicken, Carrot Slaw and Peas
Adapted from Whole Foods Market Recipes


1 c quinoa, uncooked
2 cups water
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 c finely chopped onion
approx 5 oz carrot slaw
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1.5 c fresh or frozen peas, thawed (or a 15.5 oz can)
1 c shredded cooked grass-fed, hormone-free chicken
1 c organic baby spinach leaves
sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste


Rinse quinoa under cold running water and drain. Combine water and quinoa in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until quinoa is tender and all the water is absorbed, 15-20 minutes.


Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and carrot slaw. Cook, stirring often, until onion is slightly caramelized, about 5-7 minutes; careful not to burn the carrot slaw. Add garlic and peas and continue cooking for another minute. Stir in chicken and cooked quinoa. Add the spinach and stir until it wilts, 3-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.


Tips: 

• Add a little extra olive oil, to prevent burning on the bottom of your pan, if needed. 
• Chop your onion in a food processor. Faster & no tears.
• Buy your carrot slaw pre-packaged, just watch for preservatives and other additives.
• Use a garlic press for chopping your garlic. This one is my absolute favorite!
• If you don't have fresh or frozen peas on hand, use canned. You will need to add less salt at the end, to taste. (Though fresh or frozen is preferred)
• Simmer 2 chicken breasts in water for 35-40 minutes, seasoned w/poultry seasoning and sea salt. You won't use it all for this recipe, but you can store the leftover chicken in your fridge for topping salads with.

To Serve:

A good portion of this is approximately 1 cup (that's about 3 carb exchanges). For a balanced meal, serve with 1 c of organic whole milk, a side salad and an additional protein source. (I think next time, I'll add some peanuts or a peanut sauce). Or... you could serve it like this (except not as big of a portion as shown in the picture below!)

Quinoa Primavera with Chicken, Carrots Slaw and Peas
served with Milk
and Cottage Cheese with Pineapple for dessert

SIDE NOTE: I'm not loving the double-spacing happening in my posts. Does anyone know to get rid of the double spacing?
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This morning I set out to find a way to make my Premier Greens Mix product dissolve! Many of my readers (thank you so much for your input!) recommended I try it in a smoothie. So, I went to work and made me a smoothie this morning with the following products...

At the last minute I decided to add some Raspberry Chocolate Stevia to it, so that's not pictured above.


The result?

Dissolved Perfection!

Raspberry Chocolate Protein Greens Smoothie
1/2 c frozen raspberries
1 c organic milk
1 serving protein powder of choice (I ran out of my usual Premier Whey Protein Blend, so I used what I had on hand... Vega Whole Food Health Optimizer)
1 small handful organic spinach
1 T Premier Greens Mix
5 drops Chocolate Raspberry Stevia
2 ice cubes

Blend. Enjoy with a straw.

Tips:

• I found this to be a bit too thick, so I kept adding water as I was drinking it down. I think next time I'll add about 1/4 c of water (to start with) to the recipe before blending.

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Today is menu planning day and preparing our grocery list. This task takes a loooong time in my house. Here are the steps:

1) I start with my spreadsheet that looks like this...

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Breakfast:
1 Starch
1 Milk
1 Meat
0-1 Fat
AM Snack:
1 Fruit
1 Fruit
Lunch:
1 Starch
1 Starch
1 Fruit
1 Milk
1 Vegeteable
2 Vegetable
2 oz Meat
1 Fat
PM Snack:
1 Starch/Fruit/Milk
1 Starch/Fruit/Milk
Dinner:
1 Starch
1 Starch
1 Starch
1 Milk
1 Vegeteable
1 Vegeteable
3 oz Meat
1 Fat
1 Fat (optional)
Bedtime Snack:
1 Starch
1 Milk

It was created to ensure that I'm getting proper portions of things to keep my blood sugar in check. When planning meals, I try to stick to this as much as possible. 

2) In order to fill that out, I get recipe ideas from places like: reader suggestions, healthy living food blogs I follow and cookbooks.

3) Once that's filled out, I used to use this sheet to enter in my grocery list... (this is a sample grocery list)

GRAINS - 100% whole, sugar free, no hydrogenated, avoid wheat, (amaranth, brown rice, buckwheat, millet, oat, quinoa, wild rice, kumat)

VEGGIES - fresh or frozen, organic: cucumbers, celery, bell peppers, spinach, kale, tomatoes, carrots, potatoes

1 lb organic carrots

2 T fresh cilantro

fresh basil

1 head broccoli

pickles

mixed greens

1 c baby spinach ++

cucumber +

1 head cauliflower

cherry tomatoes ++++

red leaf lettuce

avocado

green onions

FRUIT - fresh or frozen, organic: peaches, strawberries, apples, blueberries, nectarines, cherries, grapes, pears

2 T lemon juice

pear

raspberries

blueberries

grapes (for snacks)

PROTEIN - organic if available and affordable, grass fed/organic, roasted peanuts, non-roasted other nuts, unsalted 

veggie burger

1 c shredded, cooked chicken

ground sirloin (for burgers)

cashew butter

ground turkey (for burgers)

turkey bacon

DAIRY/EGGS - watch out for high sugar, unsweetened nut milks, organic, full fat, rBGH-free, no artificial cheese

1 c+ cottage cheese

cheese (for topping burgers) +

goat cheese (for salads)

feta cheese

Greek yogurts (for snacks)

string cheese

OILS/FAT - no soy, unrefined-high oleic safflower, organic butter

OTHER - raw honey/maple syrup, all-fruit jam/syrup, unsulfured blk strap molasses

ketchup

However, since my dietary restrictions have changed. I decided to create a NEW sheet with a list of the things I CAN eat and just check off what I need each week. This should hopefully make things go faster. I started creating this list by going through the chapter in the book below titled, "Stocking Your Whole Foods Pantry". 

I would HIGHLY recommend this book! It's a great introduction to whole foods, especially the chapter mentioned above. It gives a great overview of different ingredients and what their benefits are, how best to store them and how to use them in dishes. I can't wait to go through my pantry and purge, purge, purge the crap we've been using! Here's a sample page of my new grocery list sheet...

UNREFINED OILS - store in a dark place away from heat or light

• Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, unfiltered
• Organic Unrefined Virgin Coconut Oil
• Organic Toasted Sesame Oil, unrefined
• Hot Pepper Sesame Oil
• Flax Oil - store in the fridge or freeze

VINEGARS - store in a dark place away from heat or light

• Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
• Organic Seasoned Brown Rice Vinegar ???
• Organic Red Wine Vinegar
• Organic White Wine Vinegar
• Organic Balsamic Vinegar
• Ume Plum Vinegar
• Sherry Vinegar

SALT & SALT SEASONINGS 

• “Redmond’s RealSalt”
• “Herbamare”

CONDIMENTS 

• Organic Ketchup (only sweetened with Agave Nectar)
• Organic Dijon Mustard

NATURAL SWEETENERS

• Agave Nectar???
• Stevia

BASIC HERBS & SPICES - 1 tsp dried = 1 T fresh, store in air-tight glass jars in a closed cupboard away from heat & sunlight

• Dried Thyme
• Fresh Rosemary
• Dried Oregano
• Whole Bay Leaves
• Italian Seasoning
• Whole Black Peppercorns (grind as needed)
• Whole Cumin Seed (grind as needed w/mortar & pestle)
• Ground Coriander
• Cinnamon (buy ground in small quantities & replace often)
• Whole Pod Cardamom (grind as needed)
• Fresh Ginger
• Garlic Powder
• Tumeric Powder
• Cayenne Pepper
• Chili Powder
• Chipotle Chili Powder
• Curry Powder
• Garam Masala
• Mexican Seasoning
• Other

Of course, not everything will be relevant to you and your specific diet, so you have to take what works and leave what doesn't. 

Question for my readers: Now you have seen how I plan my meals. In May we'll be doing a lot of car traveling and staying at people's houses. How do I make sure I'm eating properly without inconveniencing the host? And what are some good car-friendly snack & dinner ideas?

FINANCES

Well, it's almost the end of month 1 on our zero-balance budget. I am so excited about how well it went! We learned a few things & adjusted a few things, but overall it was a success! And I am AMAZED at how, if you are doing everything you can to make your money work for you, God will bless you. 

As we were preparing our zero-balance budget for May, we were coming up short on money, even after cutting back in places as much as we possibly could (like me waiting another month to get my hair done). After praying about it, we received a check in the mail for roughly $250! Apparently we somehow overpaid when we paid off one of our debts (though neither of us can figure out how!) We also found an old gift certificate for a FREE hair cut & color that we'd forgotten about! Our God is an awesome God indeed! 

The other thing we did this month was learn to get creative. We are going through our Hypnobirthing classes right now and I've maxed out all my FREE babysitters. However, we don't have enough in the budget to pay for someone to watch our DD as much as we need them to in May. Solution? We found old gift cards to places like Target, Walmart and Home Goods. Our babysitters will be paid in those! (Hey, who doesn't want a Target gift card?!)

There were a lot of times in the past month when we've had to utilize our "no" this month, because we didn't have it in the budget. I'm not going to lie, it put tension and constraints on some of the relationships in our lives. We, however, were given opportunities to strengthen our new muscle of learning discipline when it comes to how we spend our money and learned valuable lessons in boundary setting (which is NOT my favorite thing to do). We were also able to teach and share the same valuable lessons to our DD, instead of immediate gratification, which is what the culture teaches us. 

Overall, I think we deserve a good pat on the back! :)

FRIENDS/FUN

I've felt a bit beaten down lately by the negativity that I've received surrounding my efforts at a healthier lifestyle. I can't understand why people (especially people you consider friends) wouldn't want to support you in making yourself a better person. But, maybe that's just me. I can tolerate a bit of teasing here and there, but comment after comment starts to discourage you. I've decided there's nothing more for me to do, but stand firm on my beliefs and choices. 

How about you? Have you experienced negativity or challenges with friends/others in your life supporting your choices for a healthier lifestyle? If so, how did you handle it?

So, with all the negativity and nasty weather we've been having lately, I was in much need of a bright, beautiful day with a friend who is supportive and says encouraging things like, "You are so wise! You always have such good advice for everything!" Friend, if you're reading this (and you know who you are), I love you more than words could ever portray. Thank you for today and for your kind words! You truly blessed me. :)

Picnic at the Park Day!!!

Lean On Me

Ok, when you wake up feeling discouraged & depressed, you know you've been long overdue for a blog post. While I'm usually pretty good at following everyone else's (I follow about 45) blogs, I don't always find the time to getting around to posting my own. But, today is the day. I've been wanting to do this post for awhile, but time kept slipping away. But, today, I need my fellow bloggers help & encouragement.

28 weeks preggo! Total Weight Gained: (-2 lbs)

FAITH
To be honest, I haven't had much time to spend with God lately, nor do my daily Bible study and I'm really feeling the effects of it. I woke up feeling discouraged about the destination I'm trying to reach (you'll read more about that below) but this morning, a friend posted the following quote on Facebook: 


You may think you’re on a detour, but God knows the best way for you to reach your destination.
— Barbara Johnson


*Sigh* Thank you, God, for your little love note to me today! :) I needed that.


FOOD/FITNESS
Ah yes, here we are. The "meat and potatoes" (pun intended) of my burden right now. 


I've been meaning to update my page titled "The Endo Diet" and promise to get around to it very soon. When I started this blog, I didn't realize how deep my rabbit hole was going to go and how much it would evolve. Therefore, I'm going to change the name of that page to something about the evolution of my diet. Here's your first weigh in readers: What's a good name for that page?


When I got pregnant this past October, I was seeing a Naturopathic Dr to try to help me with my issues of keeping my Endometriosis and PCOS in check via supplements and my diet. During that time, I developed Gestational Diabetes (for the 2nd time). For reasons I won't get into, I left that practice and God led me to an amazing Kinesiologist, who's prices were similar to what I was used to paying AND he was closer in location to me! Score!


Before I get into what happened at my initial appointment, I need to stop and tell you that my focus of my health changed here. There was some concern amongst my Dr's that I'm just starting my 3rd trimester and have put on NO weight. (In fact, I'm down 2-3 lbs from when I first got pregnant). I have also developed Anemia. Lastly, I discovered Hypnobirthing again and Waterbirth. (Click on the links to learn more about each). The more I learned, the more I knew that I wanted THAT kind of birth! There are so many benefits to each one! One problem... you must be a low-risk pregnancy (meaning, my G.S. had to be under control) to qualify for a waterbirth. Also, my OBGYN doesn't do them. I would have to switch clinics and see a midwife & deliver at a hospital that was twice as far from my house. But, I knew in my heart that I wanted a waterbirth, so I took the plunge. I saw the Kinesiologist & had my records transferred to the midwife clinic.


The Kinesiologist
One thing that really bothered me about the Naturopathic Dr was that he never did any sort of testing on me to see how my body was reacting to the supplements that he was giving me (which were expensive!) I was peeing neon yellow (which told me my body wasn't absorbing everything) and was developing kidney stones (painful!), among just feeling overall run down (I attributed it to the pregnancy). 


One of the first things the Kinesiologist does is "test" you for certain things. It was amazing to watch him do this! First, he adjusted me (he's a Chiropractor, too) to make sure everything was in alignment. He had me hold my right arm straight out at a 90 degree angle and told me to not let him push it down, which I did - he was unable to push it down. Then one-by-one, he had me hold the bottle of the supplement I was taking and again asked me to not let him push my arm down. And one-by-one, my arm was easily pushed down. I think there were maybe 2 supplements where he couldn't push my arm down. The reason I was feeling so crappy on the Naturopathic Dr's supplements? My body was rejecting them! 


This testing continued with different forms of bottles of things: gluten, dairy, soy, corn, sugar, beef, etc. I was shocked at the results! There were a few things that I wasn't surprised about: I have a sensitivity to soy (thank you Endometriosis) and sugar (thank you Gestational Diabetes and PCOS). I also knew that I had a sensitivity to petrochemicals (pesticides, hormones, etc found in non-organic foods & non-grass-fed meats). What I didn't know was that I also have a sensitivity to corn! I was also shocked to find out that my body can tolerate the following: gluten, dairy and beef! If you've been following me for any amount of time, you know that I'd given up dairy and beef for quite some time now.


So, what does this mean for my diet?

• NO soy whatsoever
• NO sugar whatsoever (including ALL forms of natural sugars - only exception is Stevia)
• NOTHING with corn or a form of corn in it whatsoever
• ADD in organic whole-fat dairy
• ADD in hormone-free, grass-fed meat (Eek!)

And even though my body can tolerate gluten, he recommended that I get my carbohydrates from organic starchy vegetables (minus corn, of course), organic/hormone-free dairy and limited whole grains from the following list only: (almond flour/meal, amaranth, brown rice, buckwheat, millet, oat, quinoa, spelt, wild rice) and organic fruit (NO bananas or any tropical fruit) to help control the Gestational Diabetes. 

I must admit, I was OVERWHELMED! I'm pretty sure I had an emotional breakdown the next day! It wasn't that this list was that far off from what I was already doing, but I had gotten a bit relaxed in the natural sugar department and the thought of eating meat again was too much for me to take! But, you pray, have your meltdown and then remember that this isn't just about you. I have a life growing inside me, that has increased chances of developing the same health struggles that I face. It's my responsibility to give her (yes, it's a girl!) the best start possible. So, back to meat I go (but only the hormone-free, grass-fed kind). Which, by the way, I am now on a hunt (again, pun intended) for the cheapest & easily accessible of this type of meat. Your second weigh in readers: If you buy meat (beef, chicken, turkey), where have you found hormone-free, grass-fed for the cheapest per pound?

Next, we move onto supplements. The Kinesiologist completely overhauled what I was taking, based on his form of testing. Here's a picture of everything I'm now on...

• D3 Serum - 3 drops per day (My Midwife reduced it down to 1 drop per day)
• CoQ Quinol* - 1 tsp / 2 times per day
• Premier Greens Mix* - 1 T / 3 times per day
• Premier Digest - 1 capsule / 3 times per day
• Whey Protein - 2 T / 2 times per day
• Max Stress B* - 1 tsp / 2 times per day
• Ferrous-Fumuro Chelate - 1 tablet / 1 time per day
• Pre/Post Natal Vitamins - 2 tablets / 2 times per day
• Total Alpha Lipoic Acid - 2 tablets / 2 times per day

Note: These are supplements and amounts based on MY personal body. You should always seek a professional before beginning any new supplements.

After I started this new regimen, I am feeling soooo much better! However, the lucky one's above marked with an (*) are the ones I'm having the most trouble with. And again, that's where you come in. The CoQ Quinol & Max Stress B are both liquid vitamins. The dose he has me on, make them extremely potent and they don't taste good. I'm like a kid, where I have to plug my nose just to get them down! I've tried mixing them in just water, in keifer w/my whey protein, in milk w/the greens mix, etc. Help! What are some suggestions for how to get my nasty liquid tasting vitamins down?! The problem I'm having with the Premier Greens Mix is again, the amount he has me on tastes so potent. I've tried just mixing it with water, whole organic milk and today I tried this...

Lemon Tea mixed w/1 T Premier Greens Mix

The problem I've been having is that it never fully dissolves in whatever I'm mixing it with, so it's like drinking something hairy-tasting. I thought maybe mixing it in with hot water would cause it to fully dissolve. And then I thought squirting some fresh lemon juice in it might help with the flavoring, too, except I'm out of lemons, so I settled for lemon tea. It was a great concept and it did help with the taste, but it didn't help with the dissolving issue. I got halfway thru my glass and found a big-hairy-mess at the bottom. yuck. Any suggestions on how to get my Premier Greens Mix product to fully dissolve and taste better?

Being on this new plan, my lunches have looked more and more like this...

I was craving something sweet, so I went with a new twist on my dressing... Meyer Lemon Oil and then something a little more decadent... I added Coconut Butter! (Sorry, my picture of the Coconut Butter I use didn't turn out)

Raspberry Lemon Decadent Salad

1-2 cups organic spinach

approx 1/4 c organic cucumber, cut into thirds

a couple grape tomatoes (preferably organic), cut into fourths

1 T slivered almonds

1 organic hard-boiled egg

approx 1/2 c organic raspberries

1-2 T Meyer Lemon Oil

1 T coconut butter

Toss. Eat. Enjoy.

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Yesterday, we made a little pit stop at Trader Joe's to check out their meat selection and prices and of course, left with all of this...

I couldn't WAIT to try the peanut butter, since it doesn't have anything "extra" in it, like sugar. So, I created this lunch...

Anne's Goat Cheese & Beet Salad with Bleu Cheese Dressing
leftover Scalloped Potatoes made w/Cream & Onions
1 c 1% organic milk (they were out of the whole milk)
1 c organic strawberries w/1 T Trader Joe's Peanut Butter

This peanut butter is die for!

Since I'm no longer allowed sugar of any kind (except Stevia), I've started to learn to appreciate fruit and it's natural sugars as my desserts. I always eat my fruit last now & savor it.

In fact, I usually eat my meat, vegetable & dairy first, then eat my carbs and save my fruit for last. Something about how the body breaks down the foods and uses them.

The Midwife
After a much researched & anticipated wait, I finally got to meet with the midwife this week!!! I was so excited! Except my balloon immediately deflated when she walked in the door and the first words were, "Since you have Gestational Diabetes, you immediately do not qualify for a waterbirth." I was devastated. I explained to her that I had previously called to make sure that I could still do a waterbirth, so long as I didn't need insulin to maintain the G.D. She scratched her head and brought out a sheet of paper that contained the list of immediate risk-out's for waterbirth... meaning, if you have anything on the paper, you're too risky for a waterbirth. Low and behold, I had ZERO! She scratched her head some more and concluded with, "Well, you're not the typical G.D. case. Most G.D. patients will risk out of waterbirth for the mere fact that they gain too much weight. But since you haven't gained anything, I think it might be ok." YAYAYAYAYAYAY!!!! "However, [boo] I must warn you that it will ultimately be up to the midwife on-call the day you deliver. If she's not comfortable with you delivering in the water, she gets the final say." Stink. Well, I'll take it. As long as it's still as option.

She then proceeded to tell me that midwives typically only deal with low-risk patients (which I am not). So, the way that it works is this: I check my blood-sugar levels 4 times per day. If I have more than 3 "high" readings in a week, I automatically get sent to their Endocronologist. The Endocronologist then evaluates me and decides if I can continue being seen by the midwives. If not, I'm "kicked out" of their clinic. WHOA! No pressure to have a perfect diet or anything. So, enter emotional breakdown AGAIN.

This is where I stand today. I'm avoiding ALL sugar (except stevia) and pretty much get my carbs from starchy vegetables, milk and fruit. My blood sugars have been EXCELLENT! NO high readings! So, all's well with the world, right? WRONG! This morning I woke up with Ketones in my urine.

Ketones are measured through your first urine stream of the day. It tests to see if your body is breaking down stored fat for energy. If they are present, this is considered a "high" reading. :( It basically means, my body is not getting enough carbs to use for energy. Grrr! I can't win.

So, here's my last cry for help from my trusty readers... How can I get in more carbs that won't make my blood sugar sky-rocket? Keep in mind the list that I typically should be getting grains from (amaranth, brown rice, buckwheat, millet, oat, quinoa, spelt, wild rice). I'm not opposed to eating things like bread and the like, but the problem is that almost ALL breads or bread products, contain sugar or corn, in some form or another. I am not completely familiar w/all the grains in my approved-list, so any help or recipes you guys can direct me to, would be so much much appreciated.


And lastly, the stress of everything I've written today can really get me depressed and down and frustrated. Your prayers for my mental health, as well as my physical health (and the baby's) would be much appreciated.


Thanks for letting me lean on you today! Hugs!
~Amykinz

Recent Recipes

No time to post as of late, but I have so much to share w/you all! Here are a few yummy recipes that we've recently made... sorry, no pictures!

Sweet & Sour Veggie Stir Fry
Adapted from Averie's Version
16 oz broccoli (approximate)
1 can water chestnuts
1/4 c diced carrots
1/4 c green beans
2 T mango chutney (I used Trader Joe's)
2 T apple cider vinegar
1 tsp ground ginger
salt & pepper, to taste
2 T evoo
quinoa

Combine everything. Saute 5-10 minutes to your liking. Serve over quinoa.
Note: You can substitute the veggies for anything you have on hand or like.


------

H&H's Moroccan Carrot Salad

1/2 lb baby carrots

4 T evoo

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T fresh lemon juice

1-2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp crushed chili peppers (optional)

Boil carrots until tender (not mushy), for 5-6 minutes. Drain, and immediately immerse carrots in cold water for 2-3 minutes. Heat oil on medium in a skillet. Saute garlic in oil for 1 minute. Add all ingredients to the oil and saute for 2 minutes. Immediately move mixture to a cool container and let chill before serving.

Homeschool & A Spinach-Egg-Grilled-Cheese-Sandwich

FAITH
As I mentioned before, I'm reading Revelations with a group of friends on Facebook. Today we read Revelations 17 and let me tell you, that was some crazy symbolic/metaphorical stuff! If you're down for an interesting read, read that chapter first and then read the commentary here. It will blow your mind!

FAMILY
Last night I met with a dear friend who Homeschool's her 5 children. (Bless her heart!) A year ago, I would've told you that I am NOT the Homeschool type. Today, God's started to change my heart. We are still not entirely sure what we are going to do, there are 5 different school options that we are considering...
1) Traditional Public School
2) Spanish Immersion Public/Charter School
3) A School that Doesn't Have Grades, but "Levels"
4) Christian-Montessori: 3-Days/Wk School, 2 Days/Wk Homeschool
5) Homeschool

Here are some of our reasons for Homeschool:
1) She can pursue her educational interests better
2) Freedom with time (vacations, field trips, etc)
3) Avoid peer pressure, competition & bullies (self-esteem stays in tact)
4) Religious freedom
5) Closer family relationships
6) Stability, in case of a move
7) Well-rested
8) No busywork/homework
9) Being w/my DD 24/7
10) She can still participate in sports
11) Plenty of support for Homeschoolers today
12) Safety
13) Learn at her own pace - no feeling "stupid" or being bored
14) I get to share in her successes with her

Here are some of our reasons for public/private schools:
1) No potential educational gaps
2) Learns from multiple people
3) Has to learn how to deal w/peer pressure, competition & bullies
4) Increase her attention span
5) Getting into & finding self-motivation for college
6) Learning to adjust to the "Real World"
7) Learning a 2nd language fluently, for potential mission trips (immersion school)
8) The overall "experience" of a school setting

So, this is a decision that's been weighing on me for quite some time. We still don't know what we're going to do. Any thoughts?

FITNESS/FOOD
Well, I finally made it to yoga! And it felt great! I was amazed at how much I could still do. Though final relaxation was a bit hard with little miss Adelyn kicking me the whole time! :) After yoga, I hit the grocery store, so I was on my feet for another good hour. By the time I got home, I was exhausted and my back hurt. The next morning, I was standing at the mirror putting on my make-up, when the room started fading out & going black. I sat down. When I stood up, it started again. I started to shake & feel nauseous. So, I gave my DD a quick lesson on how to dial 9-1-1, should she ever need to & went to stick my head outside the sliding glass door. I felt better, but the second I closed the door & started walking back over to the mirror, all the symptoms started in again. At this point, I got scared. I went to my bedroom to lie down & called my hubby at work. He had me test my blood sugar, which was fine. He had me check my pulse & temperature, and both were fine. I laid there until I felt better, then went on with my day. Eventually, it was discovered that I had a bout with dehydration and/or low blood pressure. Yikes! Um yeah...note to self...DRINK WATER when you exercise or are on your feet a lot! Geez!

So, my blood sugars have been all over the place still. It put me in a bit of a funk this morning (among other things). It's really frustrating to be exercising & eating right and still you can't control how your body is breaking down sugar. Ugh. I have to meet with my Diabetes Educator early next week, but I fear that she is going to put me on insulin. :( For my believer readers, please PRAY!!! I just finished up with progesterone injections, I don't want to do more shots! Not to mention, should I need insulin, my chances of this sticking around after the baby & developing into Type II Diabetes are greatly increased. The whole thing depresses me.

On a lighter note, I had the most yummy sandwich for lunch today & paired it with half an apple. I was FULL after this meal!

So this isn't the best picture, but I promise this is YUMMY!

Spinach & Egg Grilled Cheese Sandwich
2 slices of whole-grain bread
1 slice of organic cheese
1 organic egg
handful of organic spinach
organic butter or soy-free Earth's Balance

Spread the butter on 1 side of each slice of your bread. Put the butter-side down on a flat skillet over medium heat. Top 1 slice of bread with the spinach. Top the other slice of bread with the cheese. Cook the egg, leaving the yolk somewhat runny. When the egg is done, place it on top of the spinach-topped bread. Put the 2 pieces of bread together. The cheese will melt, the spinach will wilt a little and the runny egg with ooze out with each bite! Delicious!

Note: I am fully aware that pregnant women (or all people, in general) should not consume raw egg. I just don't care! :)

FRIENDS/FUN
One of my BFF's moved 2 hours north several months ago. It's been hard being able to see each other. She recently purchased a house and we had plans to go up and see it this weekend. Unfortunately, my husband and I dropped the ball and completely forgot that we needed to find care for our dog. Oops! Soooo, our plans got cancelled. Bummer. Big bummer. I was so looking forward to some FRIENDS and some FUN.

Ah well, I guess I'll have to make my own fun this weekend...a movie tomorrow with the family and Trader Joe's. Perhaps I'll curl up with one of my 5 books that I'm reading...
1) Teach Your Child to Read in Just 10 Minutes a Day
2) Raising Your Spirited Child
3) Siblings Without Rivalry
4) Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child
5) Financial Peace, Revisited

The "D" Word & the 6 "F"s

And just like that, I'm back! I miss my blog world!!!

Welcome to Spring in MN... ugh, I groan just looking at it!

I've been MIA for many reasons, but mainly because this pregnancy has been a rough go at it for the last several months.  The first 12 weeks were filled w/being tired & nauseous, so I didn't have much an appetite. I actually lost 2 lbs. Then I ended up in the ER with a kidney stone... um yeah, those are NOT fun, especially when pregnant! Just when I finally started to feel better, I ended up with the dreaded head cold going around MN, thankfully (due to heaven-sent probiotics, a healthy diet & sleep) it was short lived. I am FINALLY starting to feel better!

21 weeks

And my little new DD, Adelyn Anna, is doing fabulously! Isn't it amazing what they can do with 3D ultrasound pictures now?!

I'm still having a hard time gaining weight. Not sure why, but this girl isn't complaining! :) Adelyn seems to be gaining weight & growing perfectly, so I'm not going to worry about it.

I'm trying to live my life in balance these days: FAITH, FAMILY, FITNESS/FOOD, FINANCES, FRIENDS & FUN. So, today's blog (and possibly subsequent posts) is going to be in this fashion.

First up, FAITH.

I started doing an online Bible study with some girlfriends from high school through Facebook. It's titled SOS (Sisters for our Savior), in case any of you would like to join. (You might have to let me know you want to join & then I can add you). We've been reading a chapter a day in the book of Revelations. This is a scary, frightening book, but there are little nougats & it's definitely a REQUIREMENT for all believers to read, at some point. My recommendation is to have a good trusty commentary nearby!

Also, after 10+ years in our church, we felt the Lord calling us to a new church. We now attend Eaglebrook Church, which has 4 campuses and counting! So far, we're loving it there!

FAMILY
Well, I already kind of told you how little miss Adelyn is doing. (That's what our baby will be named). But my DD, Izzy, isn't doing quite so well. We've hit some major behavior bumps with her. When it was at it's worst, she was throwing at least 45 minute long tantrums and there is NO ignoring this child... she'll just keep right on keeping on. And anything would set her off. It felt like we were walking on egg shells around her! Not fun. And bedtime was pure hell. It was a struggle every single night and we tried everything we could think of, but no punishment seemed bad enough for her to change her behavior... most of the time, she thought it was a game and would laugh at us.

Lately, things have become a little brighter. When she started to fight bedtime, we thought maybe she genuinely wasn't tired, so we decided it was time to cut out naps. BAD.IDEA. Once we added naps back in (which wasn't easy, since she was used to no longer having to take them), the tantrums drastically decreased! We also finally found THE.THING that made Izzy realize we meant business at bedtime... we threatened to take away the night light. Only once did we actually have to take it away and it only took about 30 seconds for her to realize she didn't like that very much! We also introduced a sticker chart and let her pick out what her reward would be, if she got 7 stickers in a row for going to bed without a fuss. Her pick? Underwater World! She'll be earning her 7th sticker tonight! Lastly, we started reading a book called, "Raising Your Spirited Child" by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka. This book has been AMAZING! Ben and I tend to parent on the side of stricter, which I still think is good for the first few years. But, now Izzy is 4 and is exuding her independence and learning that she has a mind of her own and can challenge things. This book is helping me see that is a really great quality and it's challenged US to have to be a little more flexible (while still requiring respect and exercising authority). It's caused me to have to look at my anger issues and realize that I need to stay in control of ME so my daughter can learn to stay in control of herself, too. It's caused me, in times of tantrums, to take a deep breath, gather my daughter on my lap and saying things like, "Mommy's listening. I'm trying to understand. Tell me why you don't want to do "X"." and to have to compromise sometimes. Like when I said, "You may do "A" or "B", which would you like?" And her answer is "C". Sometimes, I find that "C" is actually a better option than "A" or "B". All of these things, along with reassuring her that she'll still get our attention, individual dates with Mommy and Daddy, and that her toys will be safe, once baby Adelyn comes, have been HUGELY instrumental in seeing the decrease of tantrums, as well as how easily diffused the tantrums are now.

FITNESS/FOOD
As I said earlier, it's been a loooooong 21 weeks of pregnancy and my fitness and food have definitely suffered. I'm just now starting to feel like I want to exercise again, but being a high-risk pregnancy, I'm limited as to what the Dr feels is safe. I'm allowed to walk & do yoga and that's about it. I've had every intention of making it to the gym to get in my walks while my daughter's at preschool, but I always find an excuse. So, tonight, NO.MORE.EXCUSES! I'm going to make it to yoga at 6:45! I just wish that Spring would hurry up!!! I'm itching to get outside and walk! Treadmills in front of a tv are NOT appealing to me.

As far as food goes, well, *sigh*. At 17 weeks pregnant, I was diagnosed with the "D" word... gestational Diabetes. Ugh. I had this with my first pregnancy, too. Nothing I can't handle, but still a major pain. So, back to monitoring my blood sugars 4 times a day and watching my carb intake at every pass. Today's been a rough go. My blood sugar this morning was 106, when it should be below 95. Luckily, a piece of peanut butter toast for breakfast brought it down to a much more reasonable place. Lunch, however, is another story... since blood sugars naturally rise in the morning, something heavy on carbs, like oatmeal or cereal are NOT a good option. But, I can't live without my oatmeal, so instead, I make it for lunch.

The one on the left is Izzy's. It's 1/2 cup of oatmeal, 2 T of organic raisins, 1 cup of fat-free organic milk, sprinkle of cinnamon and 1 T of brown sugar. (My child will NOT touch oatmeal if there isn't brown sugar in it.)

The one on the right is mine: 1/2 cup of oatmeal (1 carb choice), 2 T organic raisins (1 carb choice), 1 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk, sprinkle of cinnamon, 1 T rice protein powder and 1 T ground flaxseed.

See how much creamier mine is than Izzy's? That's the almond milk, my friends! Try substituting it in your next bowl of oatmeal! It's delish!

I am not allowed anymore than 4 carb choices in 1 meal (meals must be 2-3 hours apart from each other). My 4th carb choice was going to be a 6 oz container of Chobani Blueberry Greek Yogurt, but once I took a few bites of my oatmeal, it was a bit bland. (I was hoping the vanilla protein powder would sweeten it a bit, but to no avail). So, I decided to swap my last carb choice of yogurt for 1 T pure maple syrup (straight from the sap tree at my BFF's in-laws!) Mmmmm... perfect!

Sorry for the blurry picture!

Izzy was still hungry after her bowl of oatmeal, which she gave a total thumbs up, too! 

So, I gave her the yogurt instead. At her birthday party this year, a friend gave her a unique gift...

It's a jar of crushed up Fruit Loops for times such as this... Izzy sprinkled a bit of them onto the yogurt and she ate every last bit, which says a lot, because my child will often go to bed without eating dinner because she's so picky (and NO, I will not make her a separate meal!)

Here's a picture of the rice protein I mentioned...

This was recommended by and purchased from my Naturopath Dr, but I've seen it at my local health food store, too. You'd think since it's "Rice" protein that it would contain a lot of carbs, but it surprisingly doesn't. 1 serving is 1 T and that only contains 1-2 grams of carbs. (1 carb serving = 15 grams of carbs, carbs minus fiber). Anytime you're having a carb, it's good to pair it with a protein, because the protein will help you break the sugars down a little easier.

So, I thought I was doing good with this meal... until I had to check my blood sugar 1 hour later... 185! SHRIEK! My blood should be under 145 an hour after a meal. Yikes! This is what the Endocronologist would call an "unexplained" high blood sugar. If you have 3 or more of those in 1 WEEK, you need to call in. I've had 2 TODAY alone!!! This is NOT a good sign. It could indicate that I may need insulin injections at some point to help. Please please please say some prayers that I don't need that! Pray that diet and exercise will be enough to keep the insulin and needles away!

FINANCES
There's a 8-week class at our new church called, "Financial Peace University" and the program was developed by Dave Ramsey. Ben and I decided to sign up, because we'd like to get debt-free and learn how to live off of Ben's income alone.

I closed the daycare March 1st, so I no longer am contributing to our income. I was really feeling strongly like God wanted me to just focus on MY kids and focus on being a Mom and Wife. Ben agreed. Izzy, on the other hand, had a rough time with the transition. She's grown up with kids coming to her house every single day and now they're not. I can imagine it must feel something like losing a sibling to her. Poor thing. She's got so many changes in her life. But... she's getting better about this too. She gets more one-on-one time with Mom and has even started reading a few words here and there (at age 4, can you believe it)!

Anyway, back to this FPU thing. So far, we are LOVING what we are learning! I have to admit, I've always hated talking about finances, but I'm finding that it's actually kind of fun and exciting to think of being debt free sometime in the next few years! Who have I become?!

Lesson 1/Baby Step 1 - Put $1,000 into a Money Market Emergency Fund
Action: Check. We already were working towards this. Although, it's not yet in a Money Market.

Lesson 2 - Learn that Men and Women look at money differently & how to start teaching your kids about money, at a very early age.
Action: Izzy's still pretty young, so we're going to start establishing a "commission" with her. (Dave recommends not calling it an allowance but a commission. They need to start associating getting money with working). So, we'll pick about 5 chores that Izzy gets paid for...$1 for each chore. She will then start collecting them in a glass jar, so she can physically see how her hard work has paid off. Once she turns 5, we'll start establishing more what to do with that money with 3 envelopes...give, save & spend. $1 will go into give, $2 will go into save and $2 will go into spend (or something like that).

I can't wait to see what we learn this week!!!

FRIENDS & FUN
*sigh* I'm not going to lie. This area needs some work. I can't remember the last time I had FUN.

I do have to say, though, that as I approach 30 (on the 31st!) I can honestly look back on my 20's and say that the past 10 years has been all about learning who my friends are. I've lost some, gotten rid of some and gained others. It's a constant cycle. But, I've learned who my REAL and TRUE friends are! They are the ones, who love ME...all of ME... the good, the bad and the ugly. They see the not-so-great things, but they don't point them out or focus on them. Instead, they trust God to work on those things in me in HIS time, not theirs. And they instead focus on and encourage me in the things they love about me! That, is the type of friends you want in your life! I feel so blessed!

Long Time No Post... Goodies Inside!

Howdy! Long time no post!

Not to make excuses, but sometimes, life gets in the way of the best of intentions. In October we found out we were pregnant! November was filled with working, preschool, progesterone shots, nausea, Christmas shopping, etc. December brought my daughter's 4th Golden birthday and subsequent birthday party (complete w/22 kids!), more progesterone shots, more nausea, an 8-day cruise to the Western Caribbean for my hubby & me (Yay!), our 7th Anniversary, 2 Christmas', and well, here we are! Whew! It wasn't until yesterday that I FINALLY had a chance to breathe and get back to reading my favorite foodie blogs for inspiration.

So, truth be told... I have great intentions to keep up w/this blog and to post great recipes and new findings as I find them, BUT... I'm not making any promises. I'll do the best I can. :)

For now, enjoy some of my new favorite recipes from fellow bloggers...

BREAKFAST

Apple Cinnamon Stovetop Oats

Spiced Up and Stacked Pumpkin Butter Pancakes for One












Pear Peanut Oats
Quick Yogurt Parfait

LUNCH/DINNER

Roasted Corn Soup












Greek Salad

SIDES
This Ain’t Grandma’s Sweet Potato Casserole
Parsnip Fries

SNACKS

Choco-Mint Tingle Shake












DESSERTS

Wedded Bliss Soft Ginger Cookies