Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

So yummy and so good for you. There are times when you are changing your diet and things get hard. You don't know what to do or how to stay on track.

Trying to find good easy healthy things to make can be a challenge. Enter Spaghetti Squash. I really like it for it's versatility, an awesome sub for pasta as well. With this recipe it was quite simple and you can change it for what is in your fridge.

Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

1 Spaghetti Squash 

1/2 beet grated

1 carrot

1 avocado

1 cup artichoke pieces

1/4 onion

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Take the squash and cut it n half and scoop out the seeds and goop.Pleace them on a baking sheet, insides up. Lay the beet around the inside of the squash. Take the rest of the vegetables and lightly saute them. Then place them evenly in each squash half. Place in oven and cook for approximately 30 minutes, or till squash is soft and pokeable.

Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes. scoop out and serve. Top with hemp hearts for added protein :)

stuffed squash with kale chips and walnut"meat"

A little Vegan Sex in a Dish

The other day I was poking around on some blogs and I found this little gem. Vegan Sex sounds super yummy to me so I figured I had noting to lose with trying it. Due to the fact that following recipes is not really my forte I took a few liberties. This is the second go at it. We tried the lemon first and it was too strong and because I was out of lemon but had a lime we used that and OMG!

Ingredients

1-2 roasted sweet potato/ yam ( depending on where you are they are called different things, the orange one!)
1 lime juiced
1/2 cup quinoa
10 cherry tomatoes
1 cucumber
1 avocado
Salt & pepper


Preheat the oven to 425 and place the pierced sweet potato/yam on a baking sheet. ( trust me on this on I just put it on the rake and it oozed and burnt and smelled like burnt marshmellows)
Cook the half a cup of quinoa according to package ( usually a 2:1, so full cup of water for this) Chop up the cucumbers and tomatoes into bite sized pieces and set aside. Take the avocado  lime juice and slat and pepper and blend together to make a nice creamy bunch of deliciousness  :) Once the sweet potato / yam is roasted.,about an hour or so depending on the size. ( we had a giant one on steroids ) Remove the skin and mash it up, feel free to add butter if you you feel the need but we didn't. Take cooked quinoa and add the cucumber and tomatoes and mix. Next put some sweet potato/ yam on a plate top with the quinoa salad and then the avocado dressing. Pair with a yummy salada and there you go. Enjoy!

Serving ~ 4-5 people

Resolutions Suck

Every new year people make resolutions and many by the first week have broken them. Next the feeling of failure and defeat come, and they give up. If they failed once they will fail again. That is the biggest issues!!!!


So many people wait till the new year to start something. Why wait? Why put yourself through the stress of over and over again punishing yourself, because you can't change your life completely at the beginning of the new year.

Now I'm all for people changing their lives to be more of whatever it is that they want to be but taking smaller more reasonable steps, just makes more sense.

Did you know most people have quit their resolution by the end of January, just given up?

Why do you think that is? I'll tell why I think that is.

They don't have a plan. They don't know what they are actually going to do about it. When the going gets tough what are they going to change? Whether it's getting healthy, fit, losing weight, cleaning the house more, quitting smoking, even having more sex, whatever it is with out a real plan it will go no where.

Already today I see twitter and Facebook feeds asking how to get out of the funk of their resolution?  How to curb cravings and do you have to work out even when your sick?

Now trust me I'm great at figuring out how to fail at whatever I'm doing. I really don't start with a well thought out plan. I have a plan for the first few days while I'm still energized but once it gets hard things fall apart.

Changing your life style is hard it take time effort and plans. It really does! I have read that it takes 21 days for a habit to form. Well I still waiting to find out how long to make that habit stick. because 21 days hasn't been enough this far.

But not that changes!

I'm going for it. I will change.

Get a plan set some real goals and going for it :)

Mamavation Monday ~~~ Eating for a Change

Wow it is amazing how fast a week can go by, isn't it? With being accepted into the Sisitahood, I have been trying to focus more on what I am doing and what is going into my body. I have two challenges for January going on. First I'm doing and ab challenge that I found online that is a few daily exercises to help target the core, a place where I know I am weak ( many people are!)

Second I'm doing a raw green smoothie challenge with Young and Raw. I like smoothies for my morning drink because it is easy and I know i'm getting lots of good stuff in my body to start the day. I make it an intention to never put more in my smoothie then I would actually eat at a sitting so I'm not overfilling my body.

this was a green smoothie for the whole family

So far it is going great. this past week I have focused on keeping my sugar down so I found a delish little snack that is so super good for you it can barely be called a treat, but those are the best kind. :) We are having lots of veggies with dinner and little to no grains for me and not surprising i'm not feeling bloated and icky. 

Well that the update for m=now.. week one going well lets go for week two !!!

"This post is sponsored by Schick Intuition and hosted by Mamavation – a community dedicated to obesity prevention & weight loss for women and I’m writing this to be entered into a giveaway." at the bottom of your post and enter to win one of 4 Schick Intuition Razors. DETAILS ON THIS WEEK'S MAMAVATION MONDAY POST!

Peanut Butter Protein Nibblies

This is one of my recipe conversions to healthify a recipe that I saw that had a good basic idea. I took it made it my own and changed the name.

Peanut Butter Protein Bars

1/2 cup  brown sugar  Coconut Sugar
1/4 cup peanut butter --> please use just peanut nut or a natural nut butter, the only ingredient should be nuts!)
1/4 cup soy or regular milk Nut milk ( I used almond)
1/4 cup honey/ molasses -->I used both 3 tbsp each
3/4  1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour Almond meal
3/4 cup oats
1/2 tsp baking soda 
2 3 tbsp canola oil Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
1 tsp vanilla --> once again check your ingredient it should just be extract & maybe a bit of sugar
pinch of salt --> use real  salt ( sea salt or Himalayan salt) not table salt

Additional Add-in options
Flax, chia seed, sunflower seeds, chopped nuts, dark chocolate, coconut &/or dried fruit.


Blend all the wet ingredients together and then add the dry ingredients.

Now you have two options

•  you can bake it in an oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. To do this lay it out on a pan lined with parchment paper, Squish flat with your hands trying to make it even. 
• Or you can roll it into little balls and refrigerate or freeze them. leaving them raw is really good!!

Raw. Personally like this way better, more flavor and you don't lose any thing due to cooking

Baked. Still very yummy and loved by the boys

Mamavation Monday- Pledge post

This is my first of hopefully many Mamavation posts.

This will be my pledge post.

I have been working on trying to get fit and get healthy for years now. I have tried some fad diets. I have tried committing to a work out routine. You know what though, I keep failing at the follow through. Very very sad.

exercise can be a family thing

I actually like working out as silly as it sounds. I like running, I like working with the heavy bag. I like being outside. I suck at commitment though, at least where my health is concerned. I have no trouble finding an excuse why I can't do it. Right now it's the weather. Though it's silly because I like being outside and I don't mind it once I'm out it's just getting out. My kids are another excuse I use far too often. They, thought are my reason for needing to get into shape.  Really it boils down to being lazy. I really have no other push then the push inside me and it like to rest as well.


Alas exercise is only part of the issue

Beef &artichoke, sweet potatos & avacado

Food, what glorious food. I love to cook and I love to bake. This past year I have been on a quest of making healthier choices. It is working I am getting better. My food choices are much more aware of what I am eating. We are have real food! I don't do pre packaged foods. I don't do fake " low fat" "fat free" processed stuff. The problem is treats, snacks and desserts. I love them. I like to eat them, they taste yummy. I keep them to a lower number then before, the problem is WHEN it eat them. I eat them once all the children have gone to bed and I remember that there are goodies in the cupboard and I want to eat them.  I have a problem I have an addiction to sugar I know I need to stop, but I feel crazy sometimes.
I wonder if I knew I was actually accountable to someone other then myself if I could kick the sugar bug.

I will really push harder to keep my commitments. This is a new year about to start. While I can't recreate where i have been I can start now and change the ending!


I'm hoping the Sistahood can help me keep on track. I'm motivated to getting healthy and helping others along their way. Go 2013!!!

A question of fad diets

It seems like every month there is a new diet that everyone must try.



 "Rid belly fat"
                                  " drop 10 lbs in 10 days!"
                                                                              "Change your life in ____ days"


                 "eat only _____ calories and you'll drop 2-3lbs a day"


                                    " only eat__________ for the rest of you life and you'll be skinny!"



You've heard them all and you probably hear them on a regular basis. If you are struggling with your weight you will likely have well meaning family members telling you about all the latest this or that. Most people look at things and wonder if it can really be all the rainbows and sunshine that people marketing the product tell you.

It can be there can be really good aspects for most of the fad diets out there. But those are aspects! You need to think critically about what each diet is presenting to you.

It should 1st and foremost be offering you a lifestyle change. You got to where you are by the lifestyle you have right now. That needs to change. It should be realistic and doable.
It should be offering you a deadline. Goals without deadlines are just dreams. If this has been a struggle you need a deadline, this helps breed accountability.
It should have meal plan assistance and suggestions. Nothing is harder than when trying to switch your food and having no idea what you are doing. They should be easy to do and easy to maintain. Having good healthy food that is easy to do will help a success in your diet change.
It should include a exercise plan. Whether you follow it or not is really your choice but there should be on there for you to use. A diet that doesn't involve exercise is not on the path to a healthy body, just a skinny body and they are not the same thing.

Now you are going to do what you are going to do. You need to do what is healthy for your body. I myself started using Protein Shakes a little less than a year ago. I changed my life, I changed my energy, I changed my health.  For me it was a doable plan complete with what I needed. and that was an easy healthy option for an on the go mom who doesn't remember to eat during the day and binges at night. For me it worked. I progressively learned how to change my health and while I still use my shakes most mornings I don't require them and I am looking for more natural options. For me it was essentially a gateway thing something to start the process. I'm not going towards a healthier more natural organic diet.

So not all fads are bad, but some are. I personally would never use a starvation diet. I think they are bad for you and unhealthy. 1100- 1600 calories of good real food calories per day is what I need for my self and my situation.

Now please remember to always consult your health professional before bringing any diet or exercise routine In theory they know you better than me.

There is no magic pill, anyone who tells you there is, is lying to you and is trying to take your money!

It took time to get where you are it will take time to get back!!!!




* also posted on my Happy Mommy Healthy Mommy Blog

Work it out

 Come on Mamas


Beat the mid week blues

20 Lunges

20 Jumping Jacks

20 Mountain Climbers

30 Second Plank

Repeat 2x

GO!

* also posted on my Happy Mommy Healthy Mommy Blog

Get up and Hydrate

Staying hydrated is the best things for your body.

So many people lack the basic hydration needs that your body desires. A little tip.

Drink a glass of water right after you get up in the morning. Then another one 30 minutes later.

This will help you hydration get kick started first thing in the morning. another tip has been to add lemon juice to help cleanse your body :)

* also posted on my Happy Mommy Healthy Mommy Blog

Good food = Happy Kids

Okay so here is mama life. It's busy, yes very busy. With three children under 6, things can get a little bit hairy around here. I'm a pretty easy going mom, my house is not perfectly clean but it is tidy..... some days. Really depends on the point of the day you look at it. Right now it isn't too bad there are a few things on the floor and there is laundry to do. I do make time for important things and usually that is cooking for my kids. Now the fantasy I have in my head is where we eat all organic food, fresh from sources including milk.  I also bake all our bread products with freshly ground flour from the local organic grain store thingy. It is a really is a pretty world in my head, almost in a 50's style living, you know the "simpler times" idea from TV.

                                                      I love aprons I really would love to get one


Now  lets talk reality. Organic is expensive, and you need to be careful with green washing. Personally I rather know that my food had chemicals then think it was organic and find out I had been lied to. I really try to have the best food I can manage for my kids. I'm so fortunate the they are all good eaters, and not picky. Generally they eat whatever it is that i make for them. So we make do with what we have and that means weekly trips to the local fresh vegetable store. I like to go to the smaller places instead of the big box store. I personally find better quality fruits and vegetables there. Also I try and hit up the farmers markets when they are going on to help support the local farmers because they are the ones who really need some love. My kids like going to the farmers markets, there is always lots going on but I think they like the samples best. Heck that is why they want to go to Costco every single time we drive by.  I diverge though, good food makes for happy kids. Yes I'm sure my kids would love to gorge themselves on fast food and candy but I know what would happen after that and I just, just don't like going there. So for us real food, good food is what we try and keep in our house. Now still in that reality check here, those days happen and that is fine and dandy but just not often.
We eat a fair amount of foods in this house and I'm always trying to shake things up and make something different. I really don't like getting into a rut where I make the same thing over and over again. I like to consider myself a pretty good cook, my husband says I am so it must be true. :)
I know from my personal experience when we cut the processed junk the dyes the excessive sugar my kids are happier. We don't do much junk for the kids. Three is the odd time that we have treats but as a general we don't. I think complete denial  will just cause problems just like free range would. Indulgence seems to be a bit of a human condition.
My kids know that when we are at a party they need to pick the healthy snack first and then they can have treats. I really try to pretend that I am the mom who has the kids who always make healthy choices, but once again lets reality check. They are kids, they see other kids eating yummy treats and the treats taste good, really good. I know I want all the yummy goodness I can't expect my children to always resist but hey I teach them to make choices and you are responsible for your choices. If you gorge when mommy's back is turned and you feel sick later, that is a natural consequence.
Oh well we just keep trying but I do my best. Keep healthy options open and hide the candy, yes even from myself.