Strawberry Muffins
Fresh strawberries are now in season and are in abundance in our local markets.
Husby recently picked up a ton of the sweet, red fruit,
so I had some extras on hand to get creative with.
We happen to LOVE muffins in our house.
Of course, we love all other baked goods, too…
but I tend to make muffins nearly every week
for a good after school treat or to throw into the kids packed lunches
{they just seem healthier, so I don’t feel as guilty}!
What Ails Me… Migraines
A couple of months ago, I hit a new low
{which is one of the reasons I finally headed back to the doctor after years of not going}.
Husby was at work for a 48-hr shift and I was home with my four little ones.
I had a migraine that was so bad…
that my oldest son {age 8} had to make ego waffles for his siblings for dinner
{so embarrassing to admit}….
I found myself running to the toilet to vomit…
I was sure that this was going to be it…
the time that my brain would finally cease and I would die of a brain aneurism or something
{however unrealistic that actually may be}.
My 6 year old, plagued with a look of helplessness and fear, came running…
asking if I was ok.
He took it upon himself to get me a hair tie.
Later that night, after the pain lessened to a point I could tolerate…
my oldest son took me to the prayer box in my bedroom…
with tears in his eyes, he showed me a handwritten letter on a small piece of paper….
a prayer to God,
asking Him to make his mommy feel better.
I was completely overwhelmed and brought to tears with the sheer sweetness of his heart….
that his initial instinct was to pray.
I was crushed,
at the same time…
thinking about the affects this would have on my children….
seeing their mommy so frequently sick with migraines.
Strawberry, Kale & Tortellini Salad
<<< Strawberry, Kale & Tortellini Salad >>>
Nicole & I recently asked our {simply} facebook fans
what kinds of recipes they are currently looking for.
The general consensus was healthy & quick meals.
This salad is exactly that!
I almost hate to call it a salad…
because it is so much more with the added heartiness of cheese tortellini thrown in the mix.
It’s fresh, filling, and nutty with a hint of sweetness!
You have some options here, depending on your personal taste preferences:
… Kale or Spinach …
… Fresh Strawberries or Apples Slices …
… White or Whole Wheat Tortellini …
… Feta, Bleu, or Gorgonzola Cheese …
… Walnuts or Pecans …
… Balsamic Vinaigrette or Poppyseed Dressing …
Whichever ingredients you choose…
I promise you won’t be disappointed!
This meal is easy to prepare, ready in minutes & tastes incredibly delicious!
The perfect Spring or Summer dinner dish served with a side of
crusty whole wheat bread & a glass of your favorite wine!
Baked French Toast
Warm… gooey… sweet…
D E L I C I O U S
{Baked French Toast}!
I’ve yet to meet anyone who doesn’t love french toast…
How great would this be on a lazy weekend at home?
This recipe
{adapted from the Pioneer Woman},
is super simple to make.
You can prepare it the night before and bake in the morning,
waking your family to the smells of this decadent dish!
Or perhaps you can make it during the day,
while the kids are at school,
and surprise them with breakfast for dinner
{our personal favorite around here}!
{What You Will Need}
* Butter, for greasing
* 1 loaf of crusty sourdough or french bread
{or a few mini loafs}
* 6 large eggs
* 2 cups of sweetened vanilla almond milk
{or milk of your choice}
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
{2 tablespoons vanilla if you used regular milk}
{Topping}
* 1/2 cup flour
* 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
* 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice
{or 1 tsp. cinnamon & 1/4 tsp. nutmeg}
* 1 stick of cold butter, cut into pieces
* chopped pecans {optional}
{Serve with the Following}
* butter
* warm maple syrup
* fresh berries
{Preparation}
For the French toast: Grease the baking pan with butter.
Cut the bread into cubes, and evenly distribute in the pan.
Crack the eggs in a big bowl.
Whisk together the eggs, milk, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla.
Pour evenly over the bread.
Cover the pan tightly and store in the fridge until needed {preferably overnight}.
For the Topping: Mix the flour, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice
{or cinnamon & nutmeg}, salt and pecan pieces in a separate bowl.
Stir together using a fork.
Add the cold pieces of sliced butter with a pastry cutter,
and mix it all together until the mixture resembles fine pebbles.
{Note: since I am always looking for ways to make things easier and kid-friendly,
you can mix the dry ingredients with butter in a zipblock bag.
Use your hands or seal the bag and let the kids mix until topping
is combined and in crumbled pieces}.
Store the topping mixture,
in the sealed bag,
in the fridge until ready to use.
When you’re ready to bake the casserole,
preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Remove the casserole from the fridge and sprinkle on the topping.
Bake for 45 minutes for a softer, more bread pudding texture,
or for 1 hour + for a firmer, crisper texture.
Scoop out individual portions.
Top with butter, a drizzle of maple syrup and fresh berries!
Without a doubt, this dish is one of my family’s favorites!
I seriously think the kids and I licked our plates clean!
You just can’t go wrong when butter, cinnamon, bread & syrup are in the mix!
E N J O Y !
{Behind the Scenes}
It’s getting harder and harder to sneak a few photos past my older boys these days
and Mr. Amazing just wasn’t cooperating with the camera,
as you will see {he is nearly two, after-all}!
Here is one of Miss Blue, Pixie {one of our two cats}, & my littlest man… Finn.
Small Changes Equal Big Results
“One small change can lead to another,
forming a spiral of success.”
Leo Babauta {Zen Habits}
I have a confession to make…
I am a chubby vegan.
Okay, just kidding!
I’m not 100% vegan anymore,
but I do try to eat as vegan as possible when home.
Who would have thought you could cut out all meat, eggs and dairy and still have weight issues?
Hmm…
guess what?
That’s me!
Yes, I LOVE vegetables…
I LOVE lentils,
I LOVE beans…
I like fruit….
but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE sweets!!
I LOVE Starbucks,
I LOVE cookies and cake and brownies…
Eating sweets have become my vice.
We all have one, right?!!
I have had four kids.
I have never struggled with my weight like this until after baby #4
{although mr. amazing was worth every extra pound – wink, wink}!
Something tells me that it’s just this vicious cycle
in my life right now of being stressed out
{just like all mothers are}
and not finding enough time in the day to make myself a decent healthy meal,
but instead feeding my body with leftover bits of food on the kids plates…
or worse yet…
going through much of the day on a cup of coffee and not much else.
3 p.m. rolls around and I am ravenous…
therefore gorging on whatever food I can get my hands on
to banish the shakiness that comes from low-blood sugar.
I also tend to go to bed really late.
I love that mommy time when the kids go to bed and the house is finally quiet.
I either work on our blog,
rummage through the web,
or settle on the couch for some t.v. time that doesn’t require any mental effort.
It is on these couch nights…
{especially when Husby is at work for a few days},
that I find a large bowl of ice cream in my hands.
Without any thought I dig in,
and before long,
find myself scraping the sides of the bowl with my spoon…
finished.
It’s a dreadful cycle…
really.
One that I have known for sometime now that I needed to break.
***********************************
About eight months ago,
I stopped nursing Finn.
I seriously gained more than ten pounds in the two months thereafter.
I knew that I needed to pick up the exercise,
{because this had happened to me in the past},
but clearly I didn’t.
Now…
with my 35th birthday approaching,
I decided the time is now to focus on implementing some small healthy habits.
Taking the advice of some of my dearest friends,
I arranged to have a physical and have blood work done.
Honestly…
between you and me…
I was praying for a thyroid issue to explain my weight gain
{surely it wasn’t the extra coffee and sweets I had been eating!!}.
I know it’s horrible to silently pray that you have a thyroid issue…
but come on girls…
don’t we all secretly think that could be our issue and explanation for those love handles??
Well…
as you may have guessed…
it wasn’t mine
{*sigh*}.
It must be the cookies… cake… brownies… ice cream….chocolate…. and coffee.
I have 20 pounds to lose.
{perhaps I shouldn’t focus on the number}….
I have some extra heaviness to lose
{especially in my mid-section},
that’s been a bit of a struggle to deal with when doing certain yoga positions.
I don’t feel as light on my feet as I should.
I’m lacking some energy in the mid-afternoon,
and get a bit out of breath when carrying Finn up our three flights of stairs.
It’s time for a change.
Instead of doing anything too crazy drastic,
I am going to focus on a few babysteps.
I’ve always been a bit obsessed with nutrition books,
and have even spent some time with a wonderful nutritionist
who taught me lots of valuable information.
I know what works for my body,
so really it’s just making the hard commitment
and putting a little more focus and time into myself.
Small changes = Big Results {over time}…
so here is my plan for better health:
**Note: click on the bolded, all capitalized words for more detailed research/information**
1. Increase my water consumption
2. Work on getting more sleep
3. Incorporate stress relief
{massage, yoga, meditation, breathing techniques}
4. Consistent exercise
{my focus will be on hot yoga, walking/running}
5. Attempt mindful eating
6. Focus on Portion control
7. Incorporating low-glycemic index foods into my diet
8. Linking proteins with carbohydrates for more balanced meals
9. Adding more fiber throughout the day
10. Attempting to eliminate the white stuff in my diet
{white sugar and flour}
***********************************
“Your health is what you make of it.
Everything you do and think
either adds to
the vitality, energy and spirit you possess
or takes away from it.”
{Ann Wigmore}
***********************************
Although I sincerely wish I could make all of these vital changes at once,
I am trying to be realistic.
I am going to implement a few of the 10 steps I listed,
little-by-litte,
and see how it goes.
I will keep you updated along the way,
and try to point out specific things that I found to work to make these babysteps a bit easier.
I am going back to my doctor in three months for a WEIGHT CHECK!!
Seriously embarrassing,
but I am glad that he is holding me accountable.
That is about the time I will be turning 35.
Fingers crossed that I have the motivation and willpower to do this!
I am hopefully optimistic that I will have good news of a more healthful me
to share with you soon!