Happy Mother's Day

This week will be a busy week for us.  Tomorrow is Mother's Day, Tuesday is our Anniversary, Saturday is my youngest son's birthday party and Sunday is his birthday.  It's weeks like this that make you really stop and think about how can you celebrate everything and still "be good".  Other than the obvious answer, that not every celebration has to be celebrated with food.  :)  Realistically we probably won't be able to celebrate our anniversary on Tuesday, little man has baseball practice that night and Daddy is the coach.  His birthday party is going to be here so I am in complete control over what we serve.  Yes there will be cake and ice cream, but I have found a brand of ice cream I really like that's all natural and their frozen greek yogurt is delicious!  And for his actual birthday we always go to dinner (this is a tradition I started when I was a single mom with my older 2 kids, it was our special treat and it's just continued to carry on).  For dinner I will just have to trust that I make good choices.  I believe by planning out the events that you know are coming you will have 100% control, even on the ones you don't have control over.  Because in the end you always have control over yourself.  So plan and prepare.  Even if that means you eat a meal before you go to a party, so you won't be tempted.  And know your triggers.  :)  If you HAVE to have that piece of cake, skip the ice cream.  Or make sure it's a tiny piece or even share it with your spouse.  Perhaps at his party some of the adults can get some exercise too, we are renting a bounce house!  Yes, this should be fun!!  See, there's a silver lining to it all!

My beautiful children!!

Happy Mother's Day!!  

~Kari

Paleo

It's hard to believe that Mother's Day is this weekend!  Time is flying by!  Little man gets out of school in just under 2 weeks, he will officially be a 2nd grader!  My other son is graduating high school!  Where does the time go?! (Yes, we have a big gap between them.)  Do you have big plans for Mother's Day?  I am not quite sure what we will be doing yet.  I know our middle son is working, not sure about our daughter or our oldest son, they are probably working too.

So I've been doing some reading on Paleo.  I am not sure that I will follow it to a "T".  I do like and agree with most of it so far.  I know that there is no way I will give up creamer in my coffee, or coffee for that matter.  I also don't see us not eating oatmeal, or legumes etc.  But I do see us following the fresh no processed part of it all.  I've been trying to incorporate that already.  This is what works for us.

As I see all of the Paleo "ads" everywhere, I mean it seems like everyone is talking about it.  It makes me think of all the hype diet schemes that have been out there.  (Not saying this is one of those.)  But you know what I mean, all the fad diets.  Is Paleo just another fad diet?  I had a friend doing the Atkins diet many years ago when it was all the rage.  And I find it funny that every now and then I'll read or hear something about Paleo that makes me think of Atkins.  Now please don't think I am truly comparing those two and saying they are identical, because I am not.  I don't know enough about either of them to compare them.  I just find it funny that some of the wording triggers memories of the Atkins.  Is it possible that many diets are "created" from another and "tweaked" just enough to be original?  I also find if funny that the Paleo diet has a creator.  I guess someone has to get credit for starting the craze...but really? A creator?  If the idea is to follow Paleolithic eating then aren't they (that time era) the real creators of the diet?  Or is it a scheme for the "creator" to make a few bucks?  Again, not saying the diet doesn't work, just some random thoughts that are going through my mind.

As I get older I think more about the connection between politics and the world around us.  I am NOT a political person, I HATE politics!  I haven't found a Politician I like yet.  But anyway, that is not the purpose of this post.  I just seem to notice how much the politicians have their hands in.  Could there be a connection between a politician and a fad diet?!  I believe 100% that there is.  Scary part is all of the Genetically Modified foods!  I came across a company that is boasting about the Genetically Engineered Seeds that they provide and how it's great for the growers.  Yes, I am sure it's great for them, but what about the people who are eating it?!  Let's get this straight, you want me to eat a fruit or vegetable that never existed until you "created" this seed.  How do I know you didn't use synthetic something in that creation process?  You've got a free pass to "create super seeds"!  That makes me think of those movies that you see the Government creating "super soldiers".  These seeds are the super soldiers of food.  Scary!

Ok, so that's my tangent for the week!  :)

Here's a picture of dinner last night!  Yes, still working on weeding out the processed foods.  With the cost of groceries I have a hard time throwing away food I've paid for and it's sitting in my freezer.  Anywho last night was a "oh crap didn't take anything out for dinner" kind of night...I'd say I didn't do too bad.

Black Bean Chipotle Burger, Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Thyme, Garlic & Feta, and Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette (homemade)

Curry

I have been craving Curry lately.  Why? I have no idea because until now I've only had it once and I was severely disappointed with it!  So we went out to dinner the other night and wouldn't you know the soup of the day was a Curry Chicken (mind you I was going to make Curry Chicken for dinner but our evening got rearranged by a unexpected trip to the Dr. just before they closed). So I thought, wow let's give it a shot what are the odds?!  The soup was delicious!  Thank you City Diner!  So tonight I made the Curry Chicken that I had planned for the other night.  It was good, but it doesn't compare to that soup and quite frankly was a little bit bland.  Even though it was good it just didn't meet my expectations and I won't be making it again.  So I am still on a search for an awesome Curry dish!  I know they exist, I've heard people rave about them.  That soup was delish and I want to find a main dish that can compare!!  Help a girl out!!! :)  Here's a pic, it does look yummy though doesn't it.  (If you like bland then this could be the recipe for you, let me know if you want it and I will send you the link.)

Flavored Coffee Syrup

Just the other day I blogged about coffee and homemade coffee syrup (you can find the post here).  So yesterday I set out to make my own coffee syrups.  I was so pleased with myself, I did a little happy dance!  Good thing there wasn't anyone here to see it!  Now the original recipe I found said to use 2 cups water & 2 cups sugar, I modified that one.  I just can't put that much sugar in mine.  And you know what, it turned out awesome!!!  It is a little thinner than the store bought version but it's still delicious.  The next time around I will definitely put in more extract.  When I tasted it alone it seemed very strong but now that it's in my coffee it's not a strong flavor.  So keep that in mind when you make yours.  If you like to be able to taste the flavor add more extract, if you like a subtle flavor then go with a little.  It might take you a time or two to get it to exactly the way you want, but it'll get there.  Just think about all the money you are saving not to mention you know exactly what is going in to your body!  Play with the extracts and be creative!  Google how to "create" a certain flavor, that's what I did!  I used empty syrup containers that I had and removed the labels the best I could.  This recipe filled them right to the top!  Let me know what you think.

Vanilla Coffee Syrup
4 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract (next time I will use 2 tsp of extract)

Bring water to a soft boil, add sugar.  Stir and let boil for a few minutes to be sure sugar is dissolved.  Add extract and stir.  Remove from burner and allow to cool.  Then bottle.

Smoothie before 

Smoothie after

Yesterday I also wrote about our morning smoothies.  Well I put spinach in them this morning and put little man's in a cup with a lid (so he wouldn't see any of the green specks) and he liked it!  Of course he didn't drink it all this morning, but he didn't drink it all yesterday morning either so I don't think that had anything to do with the spinach.

~Kari

Space Bags and Smoothies

I have been testing out new recipes again.  Two recipes for snack ideas were a BUST!  But dinner last night was a huge hit! I also think I've found the best combination for our morning smoothies.  Hubby always likes them but finally my 6 year old says they are good and he wants some too!  YES, VICTORY! Anyone with kids knows what this victory feels like.  As long as it has blueberries in it, he's a happy camper!  So I will be making another trip to Costco this week to pick up another bag of frozen blueberries.  Tomorrow I am going to add spinach and see if he notices it.  Hubby and I like it with spinach in them, but the real test will be if he will still drink it.

My morning smoothie recipe:
Frozen fruit (this is from a mixture bag from Costco that has strawberries, pineapple, mango & papaya)
Frozen blueberries
Greek yogurt
Banana
Cinnamon
Agave
Milk
Blend together!

Trying to follow a specific diet is sometimes very hard to do.  I've tried several different diets and it's no surprise or secret that Weight Watchers has always been my favorite choice.  Recently though I've decided to change things up.  As you might know from reading my posts I have begun really reading labels.  Before I was reading the labels to calculate how many "points plus" that food might be.  Now I look to see what the ingredients are and if I can't read them or know what they are, it goes back on the shelf.  Now don't be confused, I am not 100% accurate with my choices it is a work in progress but I am working on this.  My goal is to eat better, plain and simple.  I am working towards our family eating clean, no processed foods and very little going out to eat.  When I went grocery shopping the other day there were so many items that I was going to pick up and put into my cart, but I stopped and thought to myself "I can make that" and I moved on.  I believe with the food changes that I am making and increasing our exercise we (hubby & I) will lose the weight that we have been struggling with.  It's a matter of finding what works for us.  Honestly I struggle with always counting "points plus", even though I understand the logic and it does work for me when I do it, but I don't always do it.  I have to find a way to eat right without worrying about counting.  If I can change our diet to be primarily fruits, veggies & protein then I believe we will be successful!

This is dinner last night: Black Bean & Spinach Enchiladas

I asked on the Facebook page if there were products that you like that I could try and give you a review on.  I would love to make this a regular part of my blog so please let me know what products I can try.  Or even a recipe!  I love new recipes! :)  Thank you Rhonda for suggesting the 3M hooks & the Space Bags.  Now if you want to see my comments about the 3M hooks please check out my Facebook Page.  

Space Bags Review: When we moved from Spokane to Anchorage we bought a big box of the Space Bags from Costco.  Our thinking was we could put a ton of our clothes, towels, blankets etc into the Space Bags to save on room.  They worked wonderfully for this!  The bags are pretty "crisp" so they tear easily if you catch them on something.  I don't recall how many were in the box we bought, but we only had to throw away 3 of them after our move was complete.  Now also keep in mind that they endured the ride in the back of a U-haul from Spokane to Anchorage and then into storage, then into another storage and finally into our home.  For the $20 (estimated because I don't remember exactly) it was well worth it!  I would totally recommend them.  I still use them to store my extra blankets that I am not using.  It keeps them protected from getting wet, mildewy and keeps the bugs out!  The best part (other than keeping the bugs out) is it saves me space!  Just keep in mind that they will tear, but if they last you a year or several moves like us then they are totally worth the money you pay and a good investment.  One word of caution, the "cube" size is LARGE!  And it gets extremely heavy.  I made the mistake of putting all clothes in it, which probably wasn't the best choice.  I think it would be good for big comforters that you are storing.  

Coffee

Inadvertently everything in today's post is about coffee in one form or another! Ha ha!! I didn't even plan it.  How funny is that!?

I don't know about in your house, but here my coffee cups feel like they are disappearing or getting chips in them.  So I have decided it's time to get some new ones.  I don't think I'll be buying a new "set" or maybe not even ones that match.  Not because I don't like my dishes to match, because trust me I am sure my husband would say I am a wee bit anal about that.  But there's just something eclectic about having mismatched coffee cups that I like.  Not to mention when you have guests over and you're drinking coffee how do you know which cup is yours unless you are holding it the entire time?!  I can't tell you how many times people have been over and I hear "is this cup mine?"  So this morning I am having coffee in my first new coffee mug. :)

Yesterday when I was doing some grocery shopping I was getting more coffee for my Keurig.  Since I am really watching what I am putting in to my body I was looking at the flavored coffees that they have available.  Thinking it could be a good alternative to the coffee syrups I have been using or the flavored creamer.  On the box it says "Artificially Flavored".  Now it took me quite some time (and a little help from hubby) to find where the ingredients were listed on the box.  And the ingredients just say coffee, natural & artificial flavorings.  Now what the hell kind of ingredient list is that?!  What are the natural and artificial flavorings, specifically?  How do I know they haven't put ground up bark in there (little over dramatic I know, but trying to make a point)!?  So needless to say I put back the "Artificially Flavored" coffee and just bought the plain 'ol "Breakfast Blend" coffee along with some plain 'ol half & half.  I figured I could add some pure vanilla or almond extract (or any flavor I have) to the half & half and make my coffee yummy!

And last but not least...  This morning while I was drinking my coffee and enjoying the quiet time while everyone was still in bed (which ironically they are still sleeping), I was perusing Pinterest and came across a Pin for Homemade coffee syrup!  Heck yea!! Right up my alley!  Now seriously with all the canning that I do, why didn't I think of this myself?  Really?!  Anyway, the person that did think of this is a GENIUS!  I'm just sayin'.  So thank you Elsie & Emma for your terrific coffee syrup DIY post.  I will be getting a ton of use out of this baby!  As I look at the recipe though, I am thinking I might use less sugar and see how it turns out.  (Just as I altered the syrup recipe for canned fruit that my Grandmother gave me...just TOO much sugar for my tastes.) It's worth a shot, and if it doesn't taste good with less sugar, we can always add more on the next batch. :)

Enjoy your coffee!!
~Kari

Dinner Success!

I am trying to be pretty basic with dinner lately.  Normally I go through my cookbooks and make a grocery list and menu based on the recipes.  The recipes are almost always delicious, but I find that we don't have basic dinners very often.  By basic I mean, for example tonight's dinner: Baked chicken breast, couscous, broccoli & salad.  Little man ate ALL of his dinner, which was shocking because usually there's some leftover.  I even made some salad dressing using some balsamic vinegar, olive oil and italian seasonings (my sister Danielle inspired this).  It was so good little man was licking the spoon I used to put it on the salad and couscous.  So I will be making that again for sure!  I find it amazing that I can make these big elaborate meals and sometimes the basic meals are the ones that are the bigger hit.  I think eating "greener" will be welcomed with open arms to my family if I can make it more "normal" for them.  Like dinner tonight for instance.  The hard part will be changing up little man's school lunches.  I am one of those moms who has fallen into the sandwich for lunch routine.  The sandwich will change sometimes, but I would really like to get out of the sandwich routine.  What do you make your kiddos for lunch (I'm talking school lunch that they take to school, not what they eat at home).  For me, it's going to be my coffee.....  Now I could drink coffee black, but I really like it with creamer.  But I think I've found one that I like.  I just wish when they put Natural Flavors on the containers, they had to break it down to what that really means.  Because looking at the ingredient list other than the "Natural Flavors" I think my creamer looks pretty darn good.  And let's face it, if I am giving up the yummy sugary coffee stand loaded with syrups, I still need my creamer!  What do you put in your coffee?  Or are you one of those "crazy" people who don't drink coffee? ;)  (please know that is a joke! Don't be offended if that's you.)

My friend Shannon is driving me crazy with the whole elliptical challenge!  But you know what, that's exactly what I need to get my bootie back in gear!  I didn't want to get on it this morning and I didn't get up early like I had planned to get on it....but I did get on it!  So I am sure she will continue to drive me crazy, because let's face it that's what friends do!

Eating Cleaner

What does your daily diet consist of?  Do you follow Weight Watchers? Jenny Craig?  What works for you?  I have been doing a lot of reading lately about different diets.  I really like Weight Watchers (that's no secret though), it teaches you how to eat healthier and incorporate working out.  One thing that I keep finding is the "eating green".  I am finding that even though Weight Watchers teaches you to eat healthier it also allows you to eat "crap" so long as you account for the points plus that you eat.  My husband and I have decided that we are going to be eating "greener".  It is different and I don't expect that we will make all the changes overnight but we are working on it.  It is scary what kind of preservatives and chemicals that are allowed to be put into the foods that we eat.  The FDA has approved so many things that have alternative "jobs".  This blog post about Stevia is really educational!  The Silica Gel that comes with shoes that is labeled, DO NOT EAT, is added to an Organic Stevia!  SCARY!!!  So if you are eating these things, you are also feeding them to your kiddos!  Do you feed your kids Go-gurts or Otter Pops?  Thank you to Amanda and her blog for introducing me to Zipzicle.  I can now make my little man homemade "go-gurts" or popsicles and put them into a container that he can throw away.  For those of you who are looking for a recyclable alternative there is also Silicone Ice Pop Maker Set on Amazon that you can make them in.  I like these as well!  But it might not be ideal for those of you who have kiddos who aren't as conscientious about bringing them home.  I am just happy that I will know what he is really eating!

Enjoy your research!  I will be posting more information as I find it.  It's a lot to process when you think of all the things that you eat and feed your kiddos.  I have never watched "Super Size Me" and I am afraid to.  I have seen the ads online of how the McDonalds Happy Meals...  SCARY!  

I haven't really looked into the Paleo Diet, but I am really considering it....  Do you have info on the diet you can share?