Quick and Yummy Stuffed Peppers, 100% Raw

When the weather starts to warm up I start to think of recipes like this one.  No cooking involved so I don't have to heat up my Kitchen which in turn heats up the house.  Having meals that we don't have to cook in the spring is great because I can put off running the air conditioning until Summer.  This is one of Ryan's favorite Raw Dishes!  I love it because it is so quick and easy to prepare and super tasty! 

Quick and Yummy Stuffed Peppers

1 lb. Walnuts, ground fine in food processor

1 lb. Carrots, ground fine in food processor

2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 Tablespoon poultry seasoning or fresh herbs of choice (sage, nutmeg, rosemary, thyme, basil, etc.)

1 Tablespoon olive oil

½ cup lemon juice

1 Tablespoon honey or 4 dates

1 ½ teaspoon salt

1 clove garlic, minced

black pepper or paprika for garnish

Place all ingredients into a large bowl and stir well to combine. Stuff your favorite color of bell pepper, or mushroom, or avocado. Enjoy. We like to use the leftover filling on a sandwich or on a salad. Yummy!!!

Totally Homemade Hummus

So I got my Twister Jar yesterday and I made my hummus recipe......

Blended nice and smooth in about a minute. And it made the whole recipe at once. Before I had to blend then scrape the sides of the jar then blend again and scrape the side at lest five times. I tried a stick blender and it seemed less tedious but didn't really get it nice a smooth. Love the jar it will be great for all my Thick Blends!

I call this totally homemade because I don't even used canned chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans).  I guess you could but I think when you cook your own beans not only are they healthier but they just seem to taste better.  It's not hard either;  To cook your own beans, just take the dried beans and cover with twice the water (they will almost double in size) in your crock pot and let them soak overnight.  Be sure not to plug in or turn on crock pot for soaking.  In the morning drain and cover with water  until about an inch over the beans and cook on high for about 4-6 hours or until done.  They season however you want.  I usually just add some Real Salt to garbanzo beans because I'm usually using them for something like this hummus or this recipe.  Ryan who isn't a hummus fan loves this recipe and I think it's because the beans are not canned.  Well and also cause the tahini isn't overpowering and cause I spiced it up with a bit of jalapeno and.......well mostly it's just a great recipe.  Give it a try!

Totally Homemade Hummus with Cumin and Cilantro

3 cups cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup water
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon Real Salt

1/2 teaspoon Jalapeno powder or 1 whole jalapeno (optional, we like it with a kick)
Juice of one Lemon
1 Tablespoon Tahini
1-2 teaspoons cumin, or to taste
2-4 Tablespoons fresh Cilantro, chopped

Mix all ingredients except Cilantro together using a stick blender or high speed blender until smooth.  I believe that the Twister Jar will work best for blending this hummus.  Gently stir in fresh cilantro.  Garnish with more cilantro and cumin.  Great dip for veggies, crackers, as a spread on sandwiches or with pita bread.

NOTE:  In blender it will take some finessing and stopping and scraping the sides down to blend it all smooth you may add more liquid but will get a thinner product.  The Twister Jar is the perfect tool for making quick easy hummus.  Blends nice and smooth in 90 seconds or less.  I love it! 

Last Day, Don't Miss Out!

THIS SALE IS NOW OVER!

Hey sorry if you just like me for my recipes and don't enjoy me trying to sell you stuff.....But I know there are some of you who appreciate reminders of great deals and you have learned to trust that I don't recommend things that I haven't used or wouldn't use myself. This sale ends tonight at Midnight Eastern Time! (so 9:00 pm Pacific, 10:00 pm Mountain etc.)  I've never seen the same bundle come back so don't miss out!

• If you are planning to grow your family soon or have been trying without much success this would be an excellent resource for you. 
• Do you know someone who is struggling with infertility?  One in eight couples do.  Knowledge is power and this could really help them.  
• Are you interested in learning about and improving your own Health, Whole Foods Nutrition or Balancing Hormones?  

You know I didn't think this bundle had anything to offer me but I have been looking at some of the books included and I'm honestly thinking about getting it even though I have never felt I needed to learn about fertility.  For example......

The Bundle includes:

I have been learning lots about sourdough;  (Don't worry I have great recipes to share soon)  And have wanted to learn more about fermentation.  I've heard it's a great way to preserve food while keeping all it's nutrients in tact and adding lots of friendly flora.  This book alone costs almost the price of the whole bundle.  A great deal I tell ya.

BEANS!  We love beans around here they are cheap, healthy, and fill up hungry bellies.  I looked through the Table of Contents of this book and not only does it have 30 recipes that include beans.  It has info on preparing, sprouting, pressure cooking etc.  (You know I bought a pressure canner over 3 years ago that I have been afraid to use....this book should help.)

Okay for those of you who know me.  I would much rather be making dinner or herbal remedies than shopping for clothes.  Plus I refuse to spend a lot of money on clothes that wear out and get stained just as easy as ones that I spent very little on or were given.  But I'm still a girl and I would still like to look cute and feminine.  Practical style sounds good to me I don't know that I want this book I just probably need it. ;)

I think the title of this book says it all.  One I for sure would love to browse!

Then I noticed this one.  I don't know about you but Thyroid problems seem to be an epidemic these days and I know that even mine gets upset it I don't take good care of it.  A book I definitely want to read!

And those were just a few of the ones that caught my eye.  Even if the bundle only included these books it would be a fabulous deal but it contains lots, lots MORE.  Just click below to see all it includes.  And by the way if there are books you know you won't read you can always give them as gifts to someone who will.

Alright now the other bundle sale that also expires on Monday:

This is a simple small bundle at a great price and couldn't be more different then the other one.  But I have actually already bought this bundle and scanned through all of the ebooks.  I'm excited to go back and read and learn a lot about blogging from them.  I may try to hide it but I'm noticing that I feel pretty much left in the dark when it comes to all this blogging and technical stuff.  I feel like everyone else knows all the tricks for building traffic and followers and here I am just plugging along trying to share what I love.  But most of the time feeling quite ignorant and thinking I could help and reach so many more people if I just understood the tech side of this better.  I am learning but still need all the help I can get so I'm pretty excited to read these.  So if you are feeling a bit lost in blogging world maybe this bundle can help you too.

This sale is over but there is a new bundle of the week!

Click on the bookshelf to check it out.  Bundle available one week only.





Well there you have it I hope you appreciate the reminder.  Hope you all had a great Mother's Day!

In Health,

eBook Bundle of the Week

Learn the secrets of successful bloggers and take your blog to the next level with this week's ebook collection. From balancing your blog and family and setting boundaries for your online presence to monetizing your blog, writing an ebook of your own and using Pinterest to grow your brand, this bundle is packed full of resources for bloggers. And it's available for 70% off this week only!

Blogger Behave by Laura Booz
At the end of the day, your blog is just one part of your life, and Laura shares the secrets that have helped her blog well and live well. Learn to develop a vision statement for your blog, strategize blog content that benefits your life, blog authentically without regrets, gain control over blogging time and much more!

Pinteresting by Tabitha Philen
Pinteresting: Pinterest Strategies for Brands and Bloggers is a step-by-step guide for understanding Pinterest from Tabitha, a professional blogger and Pinterest expert. You'll learn how to create a show-stopping Pinterest profile page, keep your account fresh and inviting, build a solid community of followers who are actively engaged, develop solid strategies for your Pinterest account, optimize your website by making it more Pinterest-friendly and find the tools to help you manage your Pinterest campaigns.

Blog at Home Mom by Christin Slade
Christin offers both practical and encouraging tips to help moms balance their life at home with their blog or online business in Blog at Home Mom. You will find ideas for organizing and prioritizing your blog and writing time, as well as setting goals and keeping balance with your home and children.

25 Simple Steps to Make Money Blogging by Tara Ziegmont
It is possible to make money from your blog, but that doesn't mean it's easy! In 25 Simple Steps to Make Money Blogging, Tara shows you how to monetize your blog through increased readership, ads (including the pros and cons of various different types of ads) and paid writing opportunities. She even shares what works (and what doesn’t work) on her blog.

30 Days to Make and Sell a Fabulous Ebook by Angela England
In 30 Days to Make and Sell a Fabulous Ebook, Angela draws from her own ebook publishing experience (earning five figures a year!) to speed you on your way toward producing, marketing and selling an ebook. You'll find 30 bite-sized daily lessons, daily challenges, additional resources and quotes from experts to help you create and publish a successful ebook!

The Blogging bundle is only available through 8am EST on Monday, 5/13. Get yours today:

Cherry Cheesecake Smoothie

Cherry Cheesecake Smoothie

1 can coconut milk
juice of half a lemon
2 leaves Kale
1 small handful cashews (optional)
2 cups Rice milk
3-4 cups frozen Cherries
1-2 Frozen Bananas
2 Tablespoons agave
2 cups ice

This makes over 2 quarts so if you don't have a large Blendtec blender you may want to half the recipe.  Place first 4 ingredients in blender.  Blend until smooth.  Add the rest of the ingredients.  Blend until smooth.  Enjoy! 

Mother's Day Gift Ideas!

If you're like me you are always wondering what to get for Mom for Mother's day!  I'm mean really what do you give the Woman who gave you life and raised you and kept herself from strangling you as a teenager!  Well hopefully this post can help you with a few ideas and at least get the wheels turning.  Being a Mother now myself, I do know that Mom really did mean it when she said the only thing she wanted was for me to be good and be the best person I could be!  But if you want something you can wrap..... stick around! ;)

What Mother doesn't want soft, beautiful, wonderful smelling skin! 
How about we start with another recipe.  I made this face and skin cream yesterday.
It's wonderful.  I adapted the recipe from the book, Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health.....which would make a nice gift itself by the way!  I've been using just coconut oil for my moisturizer, but I think I just found my new favorite thing!  You can put them in any little jar make it cute.  And don't worry the recipe will make enough for you to keep some for yourself too!

Nature's Perfect Skin Cream

2/3 cup distilled water
1/3 cup aloe vera gel
Essential oils of choice
3/4 cup sweet almond oil
1/3 cup coconut oil
1 ounce beeswax (about 4 Tablespoons of the pastilles)

Combine the water, aloe and essential oils in a glass measuring cup, let sit until room temperature.  In a double boiler over low heat melt the beeswax, coconut and almond oil together, mix well.  Pour oils into blender jar, let sit until about room temperature.  When oils are about room temperature, turn on blender and slowly start to pour in the water mixture.  Speed up blender and be sure it mixes well.  You may have to stop the blender and stir with a spoon and then pulse the blender a few times.  It should blend and incorporate well.  Water and oil can sometimes be tricky to mix but if you follow these instructions and have a fairly high speed blender it should work really good!  Mine whipped up perfect the first try!  There are a few pictures below to help you out too!



By the way Blendtec is having a sale on their Twister Jar talk about a wonderful gift!  Especially if she doesn't have a Blendtec yet and you get her one to go with the jar. ;)

This is what the oil mixture looks like at almost room temperature.

This is me slowly adding the water mixture while the blender is spinning fast!

See how beautiful the cream turned out! 

To be sure not to waste any we wiped out the blender and all had super soft skin! ;)

What Mother wouldn't love that!

The cream would be a wonderful gift by itself or you could add some of these other things a make a very fun gift basket or box!

Fizzy Bath Bombs
Herbal Infused Oil and/or Lip Balm
Hard Lotion Bars


Labels?  You betcha! 

See how good I am to you all! ;)

We even made the gift box ourselves!  Fun huh, you can find the instructions we used here!

By the way I'm still loving my Flexiclips... maybe Mom might like one of those!

Alright now for the best part! 

It has been so nice having lots of my recipes printed up in a nice little binder and at my fingertips in my kitchen!  I love that I put mine in sheet protectors so they easily wipe off after the inevitable food gets all over them.  I'm thinking there are other Mother's out there who would love easy access to many Simple. Healthy. Tasty. recipes.  And right now everything is on sale at it's best price ever!

I hope you have found this very helpful!  If you would like, let me know and I'll email this post to your husband! ;)  I hope you all have a very wonderful Mother's Day!  Never forget how very wonderful and important you are!  God Bless all the amazing Women, Mothers, Daughters, Aunts, Sisters, and especially Grandmothers!!!

I've Been Waiting......

......for this jar to go on sale! I have a great hummus recipe (to be posted soon) that this jar is going to make it super easy and fast to make. I'm so excited!  You can get $30 off too just by clicking below and entering TWISTER at checkout. (sorry sale is over) It's will be great for those thicker blended things that like to stick to the sides of the jar and don't want to blend nice and smooth.  Sale starts April 28th and goes until May 12, 2013.  I just told Ryan, "This is what I want for Mother's day."  He struggles to know what the heck to get me.  I really don't have many things that I want or ever really know what I want.  So he likes it when I say....."GET ME THAT!"

If you have never heard of the Blendtec Twister Jar just watch the little video below.

Italian Tossed Salad with Creamy Italian Dressing

Sometimes your in the mood for a nice, pretty really good salad!  This one reminds me of something you might get at The Olive Garden but this one is even better for you.  With of course only good ingredients in the dressing.  ENJOY!

Italian Tossed Salad

1 recipe homemade croutons (recipe below)
2 heads romaine lettuce, sliced
1 cup grated carrots
1/4 head purple cabbage, thinly sliced
1/2 small purple onion, thinly sliced
1 cup quartered cherry or grape tomatoes
1 can black olives, drained
1-2 banana peppers, sliced (optional)

Toss everything together in a large bowl.  Add croutons and dressing just before serving.  Should only take about 1/4-1/2 the dressing made in recipe below.  If you like more or less dressing adjust to taste.  Toss well and serve.

Healthy Homemade Croutons

6-8 slices whole wheat bread cut into cubes
4 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon Vegetable Broth Powder

Preheat oven to 375°.  Pour oil over bread cubes.  Mix until well coated sprinkle with vegetable broth powder.  Spread on a cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.   Remove from oven and let cool on cookie sheet.

Creamy Italian Dressing

1 1/2 cup Vegenaise
1/2-2/3 cups Apple Cider Vinegar (depending how tart you like it)
2 teaspoons Olive Oil
4 Tablespoons Sucanat and or Agave
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon Real Salt
a dash of pepper
juice of half a Lemon
1 Tablespoon hemp seed (optional)

Place all ingredients into a wide mouth quart jar.  Stir or shake well.  Keeps in the refrigerator for at least a week.

New Favorite Shampoo!

You know me......I read ingredients!  Not only am I particular about what I put into my body but also what I put ON my body.  You can read more about that here and here.  When it comes to shampoo it has been really hard to find something with ingredients I approve of at a price I'm willing to pay.  I have tried all the fancy kinds that were barely affordable.  Most worked good and I liked them but I didn't like paying for them.  So I tried making my own and well......lets just say that I have a long way to go before I have perfected the D.I.Y shampoo making process.



Anyway I had some of this I had bought years ago but didn't think a "bar of soap" was going to work in my hair so I had not tried it.  I had forgot to reorder more of my Revitalize shampoo that I have used most often and we were running low.  So I busted out the shampoo bar and told Ryan to try it out and if it worked I would let him and the boys use it because it was so much cheaper and who cares about short boys hair right. ;) Then I could have the expensive stuff to myself!   After he had used it a few times I asked him what he thought.  I noticed his hair seemed and clean as ever......and maybe a bit softer!  He said it was great and that it lathered more than any other shampoo he had used in a long time. 

That made me curious!  So I tried it!  My hair definitely felt different as I was rinsing it out and I was worried that there would be heavy residue left in my hair.  It did lather really well though!  After the first washing it didn't seem quite as clean as when I used my other more expensive shampoo but then I read on the label.  It said that it will feel different than you are used to because it doesn't strip out the natural oils from your hair the way most shampoos do.

So I gave it another try and another and another and well after 2 months of using nothing but the shampoo bar;  I'm excited to share that I have a new favorite shampoo.  It looks like a bar of soap.  It's about 4 times less money than shampoo I was using and I think it lasts lots longer.  And my hair well my hair is very happy now.  I think it feels cleaner, healthier, and more natural then ever before.  It doesn't need conditioner because the natural oils are still there.  I do put a tiny amount of coconut oil on the ends still because I have long hair and the ends tend to get pretty dry and damaged.  I got a shampoo bar for the kids shower too and my daughter who has tons of thick beautiful hair says she likes how well it works for her hair!  Of course I ended up getting the shampoo bar shelf for each shower so the bar will stay more dry and last as long as possible. 





I just love it when I find something simple, healthy and affordable that works!  I just had to share!