Month / June 2014

by tessbrennan

8 Tips for eating healthy with picky kids and husband.

My win over obesity wasn’t overnight.  My husband didn’t just “magically” give up his “lifestyle choices” because I wanted to be healthier and weigh less.  The quest to improve my health happened gradually and includes many of the “sneaky” ways I incorporate better health into my family’s diet.

Fresh Produce Healthy Grease Monkey

  1. If they don’t like it, shred it! (These veggies cook down to opaque or nearly invisible in red sauces)  I include these veggies in refried beans, chili, veggie chili, soups, spaghetti sauce, and many other dishes.
    1. Carrots
    2. Zucchini
    3. Summer Squash
  2. If they don’t like it, mince it! (When they can’t see it, many times they don’t even realize it is in there) I include these in Cream of Anything casseroles & soups, chilies, omelets, tacos, and others.
    1. Onions
    2. Mushrooms
    3. Spinach
    4. Peppers
  3. Smoothee’s in Opaque Glass with a Lid and Colored Straw. (I can feed many healthy things to my 7 year old, disguised as a smoothee) When you mix banana, oj, pineapple, strawberry, and other sweet fruits you can get away with a lot!
    1. Ground up supplements (b complex to help her focus in school, Nutriferon to help build her immune system, others as needed)
    2. Spinach – never even realizes its in there
    3. Protein powder – I don’t need to sneak this one, but it is an added bonus.
    4. Also, can freeze these into smoothee pops!
  4. Color is FUN! and healthy!   (even when the color is blended into other meals)
    1. Fruit salad with a touch of homemade whipped cream is a favorite of my daughter.  Lots of colors = lots of nutrition! (I’m not talking skittles or starburst here)
  5. Its your only option. (Many times, I simply tell my husband and daughter, its your only option, this is what I made for dinner.) IT works.  OR… I tell my daughter, you have to try it and eat ## bites before you can have something else.
  6. Frozen fruit pops/ smoothee pops/ organic freezer pops await when you finish your meal. (This doesn’t work so much with my hubby, but it does with my daughter.)
  7. Try new recipes: I LOVE Spinach chocolate treats (brownies) We call them by different names though, so we don’t get the answer, “this doesn’t taste like ####”
  8. Finally, Garbanzo beans are a GREAT meat substitute in chili – hubby didn’t realize there wasn’t any “beef” in the chili until he’s eaten it 6 times for 6 different meals and I TOLD him. LOL (Wondering where else I can sneak these in.)

In many other countries, there are no issues with your children not “wanting” what is fixed for dinner, they eat what everyone else is eating.

Warning: Graphic conversation I actually have with my 7 year old.

I still have issues with my 7 yr old, but we implement numbers 5-6 and we discuss A LOT how #4 is important for nutrition and health.  She is expected to take responsibility for her own health.  (ie: having trouble pooping?  How many fruits and veggies did you eat yesterday? How much water did you drink yesterday?)

by tessbrennan

I HAD a WART on my face! Cheap, easy, safe, GONE!

My hubby has always had issues with warts.  He’s tried most everything, but basically just continues on with them… On his feet, one on his leg and one on his hand… 

Three months ago, I had a blemish on my face, it didn’t go away, and I am ashamed to say, I am a picker.  I would brush it during the day, while I was out and before I knew it I would have scratched the top off of it.  It would heal over and get bigger.

Last month I realized it was a wart. A big, ugly, witchy looking wart… right on my face!

Here is the wart on my face on May 25, 2014. Wart Before

So, what did I do? Very simple.  Apple Cider Vinegar, a tiny piece of paper towel and a circle band aid.  I soaked the small square of paper towel (4 layers thick) in ACV and then placed it over the wart with a circle band aid and went to sleep.  Wart Killer

8 hours later I woke up, took the little band aid off and it was all white and puffy, so I put another band aid over the wart to go to church.  (I envisioned people staring and making comments similar to a movie about a shark and a laser) Smile

After church, in the car on the way home, I took the band aid off so it could breathe and air out.  When I took off the band aid… it all but fell off!  See below.Wart After collage

The top right photo is what it looked like when I took the band aid off.  Then, the whole thing just fell off into my hand.  The lower right photo is of the wart (dead and removed) on my index finger.

The left photo is what is left.  It is healing very well, just after 1 day.  I will use my Enfuselle C&E Repair cream on it to assist in the healing process.  And will update as it heals.

When my daughter had a wart removed by the Dr. it cost us $200 and was VERY painful for her.  This method was used ON MY FACE and there was NO PAIN.

I did feel some tingling when I first applied the ACV, but no pain.

Inexpensive, easy, pain free, and done at home with no co-pay!

Hope this helps… I will also post some before and afters of my hubby’s feet as we use this method on those nasty beasts!

Make it a GREAT day!

by tessbrennan

A week+ food, all in a Sunday! (Links to recipes)

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As I glanced at my schedule for the upcoming week, on Saturday, I realized I will be out of the house four out of five nights this week, have a week of reprieve then be out five nights in a row.  My answer, cook while I play on a Sunday.

I actually started Saturday night by soaking a pound each of black, pinto, red, & garbanzo beans – this way they would be ready for cooking on Sunday Morning.  Then, after church, I commenced to fixing it all.  When the day was over this is what I had:

  • Broccoli Salad – to Nom on all week (5-8 lunches)
  • Pico de gallo – for daddy & I to kick up our veggies a notch
  • Cream of Anything Chicken/Mushroom/Zucchini “casserole starter” (From a leftover whole chicken)
  • 5 1/2 quarts of Chili (5 meals) (veggie chili recipe)
  • 2+ quarts of beans ready to make refried beans (5-8 meals)
  • 12 Mini-meatloafs (1/2 beef, 1/2 turkey) (6 meals)
  • 8 Onion Soup burgers (1/2 beef, 1/2 turkey) (3 meals)
  • 3/4 gallon of frozen grapes for entertaining and my daughter

Meals mean enough for my whole family.  Lunches = one person.

I do offer classes on bulk cooking, just say the word and I can hook you and your friends up!  (My classes even include baking 2 loaves of bread)

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Mini Meatloaves, freezing in the holders… (I then, at the advice of my hubby, set them on a low grill for 3 minutes to allow them to release from the pan)  Next time I will make them in cupcake cups.

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Chili full of red, pinto, & garbanzo beans, shredded zucchini, shredded carrots, tomatoes, and so much more!  Chalk full of veggies!!!

Pico de Gallo

Pico de gallo – our main veggie staple.  We eat it on everything from a spoon to eggs, chicken, burritos, flank steak, sometimes even homemade tortilla chips.

by tessbrennan

Sweet & Sour, Crunch & Chewy Broccoli Salad

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This is an amazing salad that even my husband will eat… His first response was “raw broccoli, ick” then he tasted it and was pleasantly surprised.  The flavors of these ingredients melt together to give the perfect combination of flavor, texture, and pleasure in food. 

It also contains a sugar, a fat, and a salt to help cause the brain to give you that “satisfied” feeling after you have tasted, chewed, and consumed it.

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 cups of finely chopped broccoli (I chop it tiny so you can get all the flavors in every bite.)
  • 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
  • 10 rounds of Canadian bacon (Less fat, no nitrates – I buy mine at Costco)
  • 3/4 cup of raisins (I prefer organic green grape raisins)
  • 3/4 cup of slivered almonds
  • 1/2-3/4 cup olive oil mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup raw, organic sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar

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I soak my broccoli in a solution of water & Basic H (two drops) to clean anything still on it.

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I’ve chopped the Canadian bacon into small pieces, then added the finely chopped broccoli

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Add the onion, raisins & almond slivers & mix.

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Whisk together the mayo, organic raw sugar, & white wine vinegar.

Pour over the salad and mix well.  It is best when you let it marinate for a bit before you eat it!  FABULOUS treat!  I like to keep this in the fridge to munch on throughout the week.

by tessbrennan

Chocolate Protein Bites

Preparation Time: 5-10 minutes Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup Shaklee Instant Protein Soy Mix* 1 ¼ cup oats
½ cup flax meal 1 cup Raw Honey or Agave
1 tsp Pure Vanilla 1 cup Peanut butter or Almond butter

 

Add-ins (Add some or a small portion of all)

1 cup slivered almonds 3 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 cup organic chocolate 1 cup of coconut

Directions:

Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside. In sauce pan, bring honey/agave to a boil/almost boil, immediately remove from heat and add PB or Almond Butter and vanilla. Stir until combined. Pour complete mixture into bowl of dry ingredients and stir till combined. You many need to use your hands. Press down into mini cupcake pan into mini cupcake cups. Cool in refrigerator.

Tips:

I typically use the Shaklee Instant Protein Soy Mix for my bars. You can use any of the Shaklee protein powders for this recipe and it will come out pretty close to the same. The IPSM is flavorless and is a substitute for flour in other recipes. I keep this as one of the staples in my pantry. You can throw it into muffin, pancake, cookie or cake recipes and it will cut back on the carbs and of course the flour. It is also great to add to oatmeal or applesauce to make sure your kids are getting their protein.

If you choose to use the IPSM, you will have 12 servings at 10 g protein each that offers ALL of the amino acids, especially the 9 essential amino acids that your body does not produce on its own.

Protein bites

After a full day of VBS… she LOVES a protein bite or two!  LOL (Yes, she did her own hair today!)