come sit awhile

sausage and {sprouted} lentil soup

last week, i shared with you my new found information on sprouting grains, seed and nuts...my attempt at sprouting lentils was definitely a success though not the same as my attempt at quinoa, not sure what happened there??

here is my recipe for Sausage and Lentil Soup, using sprouted lentils

in a large pot saute onion, celery, carrots and garlic until tender.  move these ingredients to the side of your pot and add 1 pkg of italian sausage, cook until brown(ed)

add your lentils and stir the mixture together...this was approximately 2 1/2 to 3 cups of lentils

add 7-8 cups of chicken stock, its approximate...actually, all of this is

let soup simmer on low for about 20 minutes, until all the flavors are combined

easy, peasy!

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped carrot

1/2 cup chopped celery

1-2 minced garlic cloves

1 tbsp olive oil (for saute)

2-3 cups sprouted lentils

7-8 cups chicken stock

1 pkg mild italian sausage

You could easily leave out the sausage and just have lentil soup, or perhaps substitute the pork with a leaner cut of meat, no doubt would be better for you...

this soup is a hit at our house, its quick and easy and very tasty, and always makes for good leftovers!  it was my first try with using sprouted lentils and i noticed a definite "fresher taste" than before...made perfect since!

let me know if you give this one a try!

 

 

i sprouted grains

we have a child at school whose family eats nothing but good, healthy, made by mom 'food'...nothing processed, no 'white' stuff, no sugar etc.  mom makes everything and i admire her for doing so

i had the opportunity to finally meet her last week and i commented on her son's lunch from earlier that day...quinoa with spinach, tomatoes and a few other ingrediants

it looked very good!

she told me the key to eating any grain, seed, or nut is to "sprout" them.  it boosts their nutritional value by up to 400%

no way?

yes, way

so, i did some googling and low and behold it stands true (no, i don't believe everything i google, only part and this info i found over and over again)

then guess what i did?

i sprouted lentils

she explained to me that it was super easy...rinse them very well, scatter them on a plate, baking sheet etc, add water as needed and sunlight (though it's been super cloudy here) and they should begin to sprout in about 24 hours

see the sprouts?

it has taken a good 48 hours for these fellow to sprout (evidently, lentils take longer than some)

  now, from what i understand a small portion of the 'nutrients' will cook away but they are still packed full, full-er than when they were packaged 'dead'

 

next, i'm getting chickens

just kidding...

 

dinner recap

Happy Monday everyone! 

it's been a while since my "dinner via pinterest" post and i figured we could dish it now...no pun intended...honestly

i am happy to report that we are trying new things and loving them, yes that would include jackson!

i am also happy to report that a few of the meals should be given their chance on weekends or perhaps days i do not 'work'...relatively speaking, of course.  they can be time consuming to say the least, so with that i am taking into careful consideration as i plan my week and prepare those dinners accordingly

first off...

Chicken Bacon Wild Rice Soup  dear me...this was one that i didn't want to share!  it was such a bowl of comfort food and i'm not even going to talk about the amount of bacon or cream...or butter.  though i did substitute greek yogurt for part of the cream, and use only a portion of the butter!

Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches very good!  once again, not good on the calorie side but it's ok to make it your own...

i served the sandwiches above with Baked Zucchini Fries and Sweet Onion Dip ... oh my! 

and the Steakhouse Pizza from Pioneer Woman was absolutely wonderful! 

these are only a few of what i've dirtied up my kitchen with lately, hopefully with these will make it to our table soon!

30 Minute Buffalo Chicken Soup 

Crockpot Cheddar Beer Chicken Nachos

Cashew Chicken

Chicken with Edamame and Orange-Ginger Dressing

leftovers will show up again, thank you Lord

and yes, we eat a ton of chicken

 

until next time,

and when you'll think that i just may have lost my mind...

 

valentine treats

tomorrow is the big "smootchie" day! 

as i keep kidding with jackson...though, he does have a particular sweetheart and he would absolutely die knowing that i was typing this right now

he is too cute...

here's the plan for 4th grade...via pinterest, of course!

did you know there were Strawberry Crush?  i didn't, until pinterest.  what did i do before pinterest?  probably alot...

these bottles are perfect for Valentine's Day!  we made tags "i've got a crush on you", backed them with red construction paper and hung them around the neck of the Crush bottles with burlap string

next up...Valentine Confetti

let me just say that this stuff is yummy!  white, unbuttered, unsalted popcorn...Wilton Candy Melts from Michaels (ours had confetti colors?) and Valentine M&M's...mix it all together let it 'dry' and bag it up! 

easy, peasy!

both ideas from Pinterest...you can find them on my Valentine Board! 

 

Happy Valentine's Day! 

xoxo

 

and keep your fingers crossed for jackson...hoping he doesn't chicken out

 

on the menu

i find that i do my best at the grocery store and with preparing our meals in general, when i make a specific menu, grocery list and stick to it...this way i don't spend money on what we don't need or won't eat

and i know what's ahead, i'm a planner like that...can't help it

once again most everything for the upcoming couple of weeks is from Pinterest

here are a few!

Buffalo Chicken Grill Cheese

and I'm serving Baked Zucchini Fries with Sweet Onion Dip with that yummy sandwich above!!

i'm excited about this one...Chicken Bacon Wild Rice Soup

Honey Sesame Chicken...in the crock pot

Steakhouse Pizza from Pioneer Woman

and Greek Quesadillas...these will be mostly my own recipe, so i'll let you know how it goes!

and how could i possibly forget...PF Chang's knock-off Lettuce Wraps which are now on the menu weekly, they are so good! 

i'll update you throughout the week, let you know if these are keepers or not...cross your fingers!

 

and i know what you're thinking...can i come over? 

 

do you have any recipes for me to try? 

leave me a comment and tell me your favorite!

 

 

drink up!

photo via pinterest

i blame this on pinterest and my quest for really nice skin

but...

this stuff, you have to drink!

my dad actually did this in his post-cancer days...by the teaspoon. straight up. i thought it was disgusting.

the smell alone will make you want to vomit...which says A LOT for me, if I can do it.

 Delighted Momma lists these benefits:

Helps clear acne when taken orally and applied topically. If applied topically you dilute it with water, dab it on a breakout and rinse after 15 minutes. If you have any questions about this or would like me to explain it further you can email me.

• Promotes digestion. A blocked digestive tract can lead to all kinds of skin problems. It is also a natural cure for constipation.

• Super high in minerals and potassium which can help slow down the aging of your skin.

• Helps reduce sinus infections and sore throats. Whenever we have a cold coming on this is what I overdose on.

• Encourages the growth of healthy bacteria within your body.

• Can help ease menstrual cramps.

• It has been used for centuries as a natural weight loss remedy.


 

the part she doesn't mention...the taste!  i think she may state "bitter" but that doesn't even come close.  today is my 5th day of Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar (it must be this kind of apple cider vinegar) and by the 3rd i finally figured out how to get it down without wanting to cry...or throw up

here's what i do:  2-4 tbsps per day is the recommended dose.  i'm on 2-3 for now.  i add ONE tbsp to a small glass and mix with about 2 tbsp of filtered water...then approximately 1 tsp of honey.  i down it through a straw and chase it with water

nice, huh?

all i could think of when i first read about the "benefits" of vinegar...is how i "clean" with vinegar

 

be sure to check out Delighted Momma's Blog it's a good one!

 

microwave popcorn in a brown paper bag

photo via pinterest

for jackson, popcorn is considered a food group...he would eat this stuff all the time if i would let him!  and i would rather him not eat all that microwaved, chemical-y stuff, if i can help it

i believe this happened when we ran out of the 'normal' popcorn and we just so happened to have a bag of plain kernals just waiting to be popped

i put about a 1/4 cup in a paper bag, folded the top over and hit the popcorn button on the microwave...yes, the microwave...but its not the chemicals

it burned of course, and the house stunk...i quickly threw the tainted corn on the back porch and i attempted another bag

you must listen for the "pop" to slow down...that was the ticket!  just a small piece of advice

we opened the bag and there it was...nice WHITE not yellow, popcorn!  we added some real melted butter and salt to taste...it DID taste real good and really cheap too $$

jackson was in love with the good stuff...in fact, he said it was better than the 'original'

 

kale chips

i made kale chips and i liked them!

if you ask the other members of the family about these...they will most likely say that they are highly stinky and there is no way they would give them a try...ever.  i overhead comments such as "barf"..."who farted?" and "where's the spray?"

i just laughed to myself...i do live with boys remember?

those people are a work in progress

but for me, i actually found them quite good!

i've seen "kale chips" all over the internet, pinterest and various fitness/health blogs.  everyone kept saying how good they were and smelled yummy while cooking...well, that part, not so much BUT i will agree on the taste!

kale, first and foremost, is so healthy for you it's ridiculous...loaded with vitamins and nutrients, you really can't get much better than kale

here is my version:

preheat your oven to 375 (you may be able to bump this down a bit, i may try 350 next go around), i lined a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil. 

to prepare the kale...first wash and dry completely using paper towels (or however you would normally dry your lettuce) you want it completely dry, it needs to crisp in the oven, NOT steam.  remove larger stems and break into small, bite size pieces

toss kale with 1 tbsp of olive oil and salt as desired

spread kale pieces onto cookie sheet in a single layer, bake for around 10-12 minutes.  i shook my pan every 4-5 minutes or so...you will hear the pieces getting crispy.  be careful not to burn, it don't think it would take much for this to happen

*the bitterness is completely gone and they are pretty tasty!  i'll be making these again for certain, may try to spice them up in the future!

 

i'll let you know as the other verdicts are in...

 

{Photo a Day Challenge} day 9

Photo a Day Challenge

day 9...daily routine

daily routine for me is a long list...i'm a routine kind of person, i just can't help it!

over the past couple of months, i have visited Sephora more than i would like to admit...it's becoming a bit of a habit...but all in the name of beauty, right? 

maybe it was turning 40...maybe it was the shape my skin was in...maybe it was a deal that i came across at Sephora, one day, a sample box of 18 eye shadows for $30??  (those samples get me sometimes...) regardless, my morning makeup routine has changed...i found a love for bareMinerals about a year ago, thanks to a friend...and now Urban Decay, Smashbox and MAKE UP FOR EVER are at my reach every day

i can't say enough about the good stuff when it comes to makeup and part of my daily routine!

 

{skin care} food on your face

sometime back in august, i noticed...i couldn't help but notice...that my face was breaking out more than the normal

with all that was going with our good friend i had come to the conclusion it was stress related

now, back in the day i had the occasional zit pop up but nothing too crazy!  it just had to be a "stress" thing.  so what does any person do...google it!  and i believe pinterest had something to do with it as well

i found this great blog Crunchy Betty written and hosted by none other than Crunchy Betty herself, a former model who now believes that putting junk on your face is not a good thing, less is more and what our skin needs is right there in the kitchen!

 i read and re-read her blog.  her entire blog, i think?  or so, it seemed...there was just more and more info that sucked me right in and i needed to know it!  i found that none other than stress + the fact that i was trying to 'dry' out my oily skin was indeed what was making my skin break out!  now, as far as the stress was concerned, i really couldn't do much for that BUT i could do something about what i was putting into my body and on my skin.  the junk that was suppose to 'dry' my skin was indeed making it too dry, therefore the natural oils were working overtime to compensate!  it was like God spoke, only it was Betty...

i decided to give her remedies a try...i mean, what could it hurt?  certainly didn't seem like it could be bad?  i even threw away my drug store products so there was no cheating.  i found the baking soda, honey, tea tree oil, witch hazel, milk and some oatmeal.

sounds exciting, doesn't it? 

i am happy to report that each of these things work individually and along side each other, if need be!!  my skin has become much clearer and the breakouts have slowed waaaay down.  did i mention, it's cheap too?

i'm going to share with you what i've tried so far, what has worked for me and what i'm currently using...

 baking soda - baking soda works as an exfoliate...a microderm abrasion, if you will.  it works.  plain and simple, it works.  make a paste with the baking soda and water (purified or distilled...or the faucet you must begin somewhere) and gently rub on your 'clean' face and neck.  gently is key here, you don't want to over do this.  i use this atleast once a week. 

honey - i'm loving the honey!  Crunchy Betty challenged her readers to a Honey Challenge...i accepted, and i liked it.  so much so, that i do this every. single. day. religiously.  honey is antibacterial and antimicrobial.  it is highly moisturizing but in a good way for us oily skin folks...and it's great for all skin types!  and it helps in healing scars. 

tea tree oil - tea tree oil is awesome but for me, i must use this very sparingly!   it works for getting rid of those pimples at the moment you feel or see them.  i dab a drop of tea tree oil on a Q-tip and then dilute it with water, then press the Q-tip into my green clay mask powder and apply it (all) to my 'start of a pimple'...basically, i'm making a mask.  leave it on over night.  in the morning, you're like...what pimple? 

witch hazel - i've had this in my medicine cabinet off and on, forever.  and now, it is where it will stay.  i use witch hazel as a toner/astringent.  simply apply it to a cotton ball and gently wipe your face.  it smelled weird to me in the beginning, but i'm ok with it now.  i use this morning and night. 

milk - milk is great for oily skin and can be used in getting rid of blackheads.  "the lactic acid in milk helps to break down old skin cells so they disappear when you rinse your face".  you can mix this with the baking soda above etc. etc. 

oatmeal - another great staple found in the kitchen is oatmeal and for me, i'm either eating it for breakfast or putting it on my face!  it works as an exfoliate combined with other wet ingredients, depending on your skin type.  i have used it in the mornings.  

 
photo pinterest

 water - we all know water is good for you but i can't say it enough...water, water, water...drink as much as you can!  yes, 6-8 glasses a day...or more.  i highly recommend it.  in fact, the more i drink the more i want to drink

what you put in your body, must come out of your body...including french fries

trust me

i know this was an extremely long post...thanks for sticking with me and letting me share!   i would love to know your thoughts...i may be revealing more natural skincare goodness in the future!  and be sure to check out Crunchy Betty's blog i think you'll like it

 

until tomorrow!