May Fitness Challenge – Week 2 Starts Off Bumpy…

May 9, 2012

Glad we're all healthy again!

I know, I know.

I posted this awesomeness…than I dropped off the planet.

Sorry ’bout that.

This weekend was planned time off from BodyRock-ing. BUT I did finish the arm challenge!

Here’s what I did:

Saturday- I did Sunday’s workout. I waited until it was super late and Sunday’s workout looked a bit simpler so I flip flopped days. My tricep dips were STUNNING. Woot woot for stronger triceps!

Sunday – Saturday’s Arm Challenge workout. Went well. Also did 5 minutes of warm up on the bike, followed by 20 minutes of HIIT (I did 30 seconds full blasts/90 seconds recovery x 10) and 5 minutes of cool down.

I fully intended to hop back into BodyRock on Monday. Except…I woke up SO sick!

I basically stayed in bed ALL day on Monday. My stomach was killing me and I felt like a truck rolled over me. Not good!

I didn’t feel much better on Tuesday, but during the late afternoon started to get some of my pep back. I decided I’d work out when the kids went to sleep.

However, just as we were serving dinner, my son threw up. He proceeded to get sick 1-2 times an hour for several hours and finally we all got to sleep (after playing musical beds) at around 12am. Sheesh!

This morning I woke up and my son felt good, I felt good, and the house looked like a nasty smelly bomb hit it.

So I scrubbed and cleaned and washed and disinfected and then…I BodyRock-ed!

Man this workout was rough AND I actually really heavily modified it! If my stats seem high, it’s likely because I majorly modified the exercise AND I didn’t have any of the equipment required so I had to make do with dumbbells.

Here are my stats: (for Day 4…which you can find here. Remember I’m working a few days behind)

Part 1:

  • Prisoner Squats 28/27/30
  • Crazy Mountain Climbing Squat Arm Torture Device Exercise 2/2.5/2
  • Squat + Front Raise 21/10/21
  • Side Plank Twists 19/11/10

Part 2:

This was a Pyramid 300 rep exercise. My time for all 300 reps was 11:53:16. I saw in the comments that some people took 27 minutes to do this part. I was wondering what in the world I did wrong until I realized they were using 20-25 lb sand bags. Um…5 lb weights y’all, and I felt FULLY worked out.

For the ab portion:

  • Spider Push Ups (box): 16
  • Mountain Climbers: 25 (I hate these things. HATE them)
  • Star: 11 (I’m darn proud of all 11 of those. I did them with proper form and really took my time!)

Part 3: 

It took me 2:20 to do the flow portion. I really hate that they don’t show it all together. I always feel like I’m doing something wrong? This time they didn’t even have directions, just the video. The words + the visual is what helps it come together for me, so this was frustrating…but you know what? It’s FREE, so I’ll deal with it.

Another BodyRock day down! I was drenched by the end of this one. Drenched!

I’m also super proud of myself for: 

A. Finishing the arm challenge in the 7 days allotted

B. Hopping back into BodyRock after being sick and caring for my sick little guy.

Are you doing the May challenge? Come chat with us about it!
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May Fitness Challenges: Tracking My Progress (Join Me!)

May 4, 2012

As I mentioned recently, I’m currently doing 2 different fitness challenges.

The BodyRockTV May Challenge (30 days) 

and

The SkinnyMs Summer Arms Challenge (7 days)

I want to track my progress a bit (for the 30 day challenge, not the arm one since I only have 2 days left of that), so I think I’m going to do so here!

If anyone wants to follow along, it’s definitely not too late. You’ll just be on different days from me. So far I am VERY impressed with both challenges and am feeling better than I have in a long time!

I’m following our Healthy Family Plan for my eating and aiming for 80/20 compliance.

Also, I’m calorie counting using the calorie count provided for me on MyFitnessPal.

BodyRockTV May Challenge:

Day 1 Results (Find Day 1 here):

Part 1-

  • Squats: 24/24/24
  • Push Ups (box push ups): 28/24/21
  • Tricep Dips: 11/15/18
  • Abs: 28/24/23

Part 2-

I’m not very flexible, LOL. I did okay with the poses in general, but I have a long long way to go. The worst was the standing back bend. She tells you to look at the wall behind you. Well…I was able to painfully look at the ceiling and that’s about it!

Day 2 Results (Find Day 2 here):

This was quick and effective. I don’t think I “flowed” very well from one movement to the next, but I definitely felt each move. My thighs especially!

Day 3 Results (Find Day 3 here):

Warm up 5 minutes on the bike.

Part 1-

  • Touchdowns: 33/27/27
  • Spider Push Ups (Box Style): 17/18/17
  • Tuck Abs (Honestly I basically did different variations of crunches): 26/27/30
  • Hanging Knee (I do not have a pull up bar. I held on to the door frame gently and lifted my knees one at a time. It worked my abs, but probably not my arms much. It felt GOOD to stretch like that though!) 30/25/30

Part 2-

  • Bicep Curl & Press: 14 reps with 10 lbs
  • Shoulder Press: 16?10? (my writing is kind of iffy at this point…) reps with 10 lbs
  • Squats: 23 reps with 10 lbs
  • Triceps: 20 reps with 10 lbs
  • Round the World: 8 reps with 5 lbs
  • Upright Row: 21 reps with 5 lbs
  • Bent over row: 27 reps with 5 lbs
  • Abs: 23 reps

This felt AWESOME! I love workouts that really make me PUSH and this one definitely did that. I can tell I’m finally getting some ab strength back, because no matter what the exercise, I felt it in my abs. There’s a LOT on top of those muscles, but it’s good to know they are there!

I’m totally glutton for punishment too. These challenges really get me motivated, so I still did the Friday exercises for the Summer Arm Challenge as well.

Then I cooled down for 5 minutes on the bike.

Up Next:

BodyRock Challenge is off on weekends, so I’ll finish up the Arm Challenge this weekend and just focus on BodyRock and probably some cardio from Monday on.

Are you up for the challenge? I’m going to chart my progress here so I have it all in one place, but I’d also love to chat with anyone interested in getting healthy this month!

I started a conversation in my BlogFrog community and I’d love for you to join in! We can all support each other:
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My Healthy Family Goals and Plan: Our Five Rules for Nutrition

May 3, 2012

Healthy Family

healthy family

We deserve to be a healthy family. Your family does too!


healthy family
I meant to post this on Monday, but now it’s Thursday and I’m just now getting the chance to sit down and type it up!

Our Mission Towards a Healthy Family- The Catalyst

I turn 30 in late August and I am simply not ready.

I am not at my goal weight (far from it!).

I’ve lost a decent amount of weight before (using Weight Watchershealthy family…GREAT program):

healthy family

healthy family
Before
healthy family
After 40 lbs lighter (not at goal…but I got pregnant not long after this)

This time, I wanted to really get down to the root of my problems. No quick fixes. I wanted to learn about nutrition and health, not the latest fad diet (Weight Watchershealthy family is NOT a fad diet, I just lost enthusiasm for it).

I want a healthy family, and since I consider myself the nutritional gatekeeper of this family, it starts with me. 

How to have a healthy family: My Research

I’ve been reading a lot about nutrition  and I’ve been really convicted to live a healthier lifestyle. Not just for myself, but to have a healthy family as well.

Some books/films that have been huge eye openers for me were (all films are available on Netflix right now):

healthy family

As you can see, I’ve read quite a bit of conflicting information!

healthy familyhealthy family

In one corner, we have your very strict gluten free diet. No gluten at any time. If you go gluten free, you must do so whole heartedly. This means in some cases you even need to get rid of your previously gluten “tainted” cutting boards and appliances! (The Gluten Connection) Here’s a fascinating article about why so many are hopping on the gluten free train lately and why it’s not necessarily a bad thing.

healthy family

In the other corner, we have the argument for a whole foods plant based diet. Grains and gluten are allowed, but the argument is made (quite convincingly I might add) that plants in general should make up the majority of your diet. (In Defense of Food, Fat Sick & Nearly Dead)

healthy familyhealthy family

Finally…standing in corner #3, we have your Paleo diet. Meat and fat are totally okay. Awesome even. Veggies and fruits…those are awesome too. Grains? Well those are iffy depending on who you are reading. Dairy is kind of a no no.(The Paleo Solution, Nourishing Traditions, Eat Fat Lose Fat)

Where Do I Stand? What’s my Healthy Family Plan?

As usual, I’m in corner #4.

Not fully committing to anyone’s specific plan, because I think a healthy family should forge their own path!

What I have done is taken bits and pieces of the information I’ve read (and viewed) and formed my own Healthy Family eating plan:

  1. Bye Bye to white flour, sugar and rice. I’m not going to say I’ll never again consume these products, but it will be the exception and never the rule. This has not been difficult for us, because we’ve been transitioning over this way for some time now. This means brown rice, whole wheat flour, stevia and turbinado sugar (the sugars are still throwing me for a loop though…mainly when it comes to baking. I have been using pure maple syrup and honey a LOT though).
  2. Use REAL butter. Use REAL cheese. Use REAL organic whole milk. That diet stuff wasn’t really doing us any favors anyways. Plus, I find that we can all actually consume smaller portions naturally when we use the real stuff. It’s just more filling and more enjoyable!
  3. Organic whenever possible. I have a whole series entitled Living Healthy on a Budget on Family Friendly Frugality. The most painful item for me to purchase organic is chicken. Chicken HURTS. It’s very pricey to purchase Organic Chicken! ANY tips you might have to help with this would be MUCH appreciated.
  4. Fat is my friend. Scratch that…the RIGHT fats are my friend. That means we are utilizing olive oil and coconut oil and saturated fats on a daily basis. I won’t get into why saturated fat is not the devil, and trans fats are…but pretty much every single book I have linked to will scare you off trans fats for good. The best part is that whole eggs and bacon are part of our diet and that’s totally okay.
  5. Veggies and fruits, veggies and fruits. They are essential and they are the star (you see that? Bold, italicized AND underlined). This is the hardest part for me and my family! We’re working on it though. Luckily the “fat” rule makes the veggie rule a bit easier. Most veggies taste great with a bit of butter or olive oil!

Finally, we’re aiming for 80% compliance with our Healthy Family eating plan. 

We like to eat out. We like to have treats and we are a busy family. So aiming for 100% compliance is simply not feasible at this time. Maybe one day it will be? Who knows?

The Results? Are we a healthy family?

I’ve felt REALLY good about the meals I’ve cooked for my family lately.

I’ve felt REALLY good about the renewed energy I feel and the fact that we’ve been more active as a family lately.

I’ve felt REALLY good about my own personal fitness strides (I’m currently participating in this arm challenge, this 30 day BodyRockTV challenge and also working on our exercise bikehealthy family and doing my Firm DVD’s {best lower body workout EVERhealthy family} as well).

This will likely be tweaked here and there, but for now? This is our plan to work towards a healthy (healthier?) family and we’re doing great on it!

What are you doing to keep yourself healthy?
Talk to me in the comments, I am always open to hearing about what works for other families as well!

What are you doing to ensure you have a healthy family?

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Win a LeapPad or $100 GC to Spend on Leap Apps and Games!

May 1, 2012

I have partnered with some of my favorite bloggers to offer this great prize for you and your family. Did you get a Leap Pad during all the craziness around the holidays? Well, if not, here’s your chance.

Or, if you did, here is a chance to refresh it with $100 worth of new apps and games. This is a summer time MUST-HAVE if you’re taking a road trip, especially if your car does not have a DVD player in it. The kids can watch videos on it just like a mini-DVD player, but they can also play games on it, which is something a DVD player doesn’t offer. You can get apps and other add ons for all ages, from preschool up to Star Wars. It even has a camera and a photo editor, an art app that they can draw on or play tic-tac-toe, and more. It’s really a handy little educational and entertaining device.

Enter now!
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Why Butter Rocks, Margarine is Gross and This is a Great Book

April 26, 2012


Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats

Don’t read this book if you want to keep margarine in your diet. For real.

If you are not a fan of real butter and prefer the fake stuff (um…what’s wrong with you?), don’t read this passage:

Hydrogenation: This is the process that turns polyunsaturates, normally liquid at room temperature, into fats that are solid at room temperature – margarine and shortening. To produce them,manufacturers begin with the cheapest oils - soy, corn, cottonseed or canola, already rancid from the extraction process – and mix them with tiny metal particles – usually nickel oxide. The oil with its nickel catalyst is then subjected to hydrogen gas in a high-pressure, high-temperature reactor. Next, soap-like emulsifiers and starch are squeezed into the mixture to give it a better consistency; the oil is yet again subjected to high temperatures when it is steam-cleaned. This removes its unpleasant odor. Margarine’s natural color, an unappetizing grey, is removed by bleach. Dyes and strong flavors must then be added to make it resemble butter. Finally, the mixture is compessed and packaged in blocks or tubs and sold as a health food.

and

Instead of eliminating them, your body incorporates trans fats [like what is found in margarine] into the cell membranes as though they were cis fats – your cells actually become partially hydrogenated!

- Nourishing Traditions

If you do want to learn a bit more about nutrition and why the standard American Diet is responsible for pretty much everything bad in this world today (okay…I kid a bit. But honestly? And sadly? Just a bit…) than you MUST read this book.

Throw out what you know about saturated fat as a villain and get ready to embrace the butter and (most definitely) the coconut oil!

However…

Some of the suggestions in this book might not be feasible for all due to budget or location constraints.

In fact, I’m really frustrated by the lack of a good CSA here in Houston right now! (Houston. One of the largest cities in the US and if there’s a CSA nearby it’s been hidden deep underground and relies on marketing by word of mouth via secret society apparently).

Thankfully there’s Vitacost and Amazon and a lot of our local grocery stores are now offering more organic and whole food options.

Is it enough though?

In addition, articles like this and this lead me to believe unless we grow it, butcher it, and scratch make it ourselves…we’ll never know for sure if what we’re consuming is as pristine as we would hope it would be.

***As a brief aside: I recently purchased some coconut oil and this stuff is GOLD! I’ve used it on my hair, my face (as a moisturizer, I am still loving the oil cleansing method!) in food, etc. I don’t have as many cravings, I get fuller faster and I just feel better. Awesome stuff.

I bought mine from Vitacost.

We’re working on it

I’ve been overhauling our diet for some time now. Honestly we’re taking baby steps towards a more whole foods/organic lifestyle (that yes, includes plenty of saturated fats).

Why? Because it feels right.

Why not make the switch cold turkey? Because even though it feels like the right thing to do, it’s also:

  • Expensive
  • Relatively drastic
  • Tough with little kids
  • I like donuts (luckily, I like butter more)

And…you care because…?

All this to say, I’m going to try and work on finding more fun recipes for my family that fit the approach found in this book tempered with the reality that Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Meaning…don’t be surprised if one day you see a recipe for organic salad dressing followed the next week by an ooey gooey pan of brownies.

It’s all a work in progress ;)

 

*FYI…this is not a book review. I bought the book myself and just felt compelled to share. However, those ARE affiliate links. ;)

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From Scratch Chicken and Dumplings- Simple and Delicious Comfort Food!

April 24, 2012

From Scratch Chicken and Dumplings

Scratch-Made-Chicken-And-Dumplings


Chicken and Dumplings is a pretty new meal for me.

I didn’t grow up with this comfort food, so I didn’t really know what I was missing out on!

One day, I decided to give Chicken and Dumplings a shot and I used this recipe. It’s been the recipe I’ve fallen back on ever since, and it’s really helped me love Chicken and Dumplings.

BUT…it’s TIME consuming. And super ingredient heavy. And honestly it pales in comparison to the Chicken and Dumplings recipe I’m about to post! (but it’s still really good and probably a bit healthier than the version I am now enjoying though.)

This recipe starts with my homemade cream of chicken soup. 

You can either make the cream of chicken soup in advance, or just make it as part of your dinner prep the night you intend to eat Chicken and Dumplings!

From Scratch Chicken and Dumplings

Inspired by All Recipes

Ingredients:

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (you can throw ‘em in frozen!)

1 Cream of Chicken Soup Recipe (or 2 cans of cream of chicken soup…but trust me, the homemade stuff will be much tastier in this recipe!)

2 tablespoons butter

1 onion finely diced

3/4 cup chicken broth (with more on hand if needed)

For the biscuits:

2 cups flour (use any combo that works for you. All wheat, half white/half wheat, etc…)

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup cold butter diced

1 cup milk

Directions:

  1. Add the cream of chicken soup, chicken broth,  2 tablespoons of butter, diced onions and chicken to a pot. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer.
  2. Simmer until your chicken is cooked all the way through and you can remove it and shred it with 2 forks (the time will vary based upon the size of your chicken breasts and if you put them in frozen or not).
  3. Shred your chicken (you can use two forks for this) and set aside for a bit.
  4. Making the biscuits/dumplings:
  5. Mix the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt together in a bowl
  6. Cut in the cold butter and work it into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is the size of small peas. Don’t overwork it! You want the butter to still be cold.
  7. Add your milk to the mixture and knead just until it’s all moistened.
  8. Turn up the heat on your cream of chicken mixture on the stove until it’s at a high simmer.
  9. Drop biscuit dough in by the tablespoon full. Go kind of slow just dropping a few in at a time and letting the heat come back up in between biscuit drops (hereafter known as dumplings!).
  10. Add your chicken back in and allow to simmer for 10 minutes of so. Pull out a bigger dumpling and check inside to be sure it is cooked through. (At this point, if your mixture is looking way too thick, you can add some more chicken broth to thin it out. We like it thick though!)
  11. Salt and pepper to taste and garnish with some parsley!

This recipe is SO tasty! You can throw veggies into it if you like, but honestly I just like to serve the veggies on the side.

You do not have to use my biscuit recipe. You can use your own or you can just use canned biscuits if you like. 

You can also make this in the slow cooker! In fact, can I tell you a secret? 

This is the recipe that made me realize my slow cooker was broken. I had the ingredients in the slow cooker for 3.5 hours when I went over to check and saw that the lid wasn’t fogged at all. Lifted the lid and my chicken for my chicken and dumplings was still frozen solid! I transferred the whole thing to a pot and that’s how this turned into a stove cooked recipe instead of a slow cooker recipe ;)

You would just cook it in the slow cooker for 6-8 hours on low and add the biscuits 60-90 minutes before serving.

(So who wants to buy me a new slow cooker? ;) )

I hope you enjoy this Chicken and Dumplings Recipe and be sure to come back and comment if you try it or change it up!

Printable Version:

From Scratch Chicken and Dumplings- Simple and Delicious Comfort Food!
Print
Recipe type: Dinner
You can make scratch made chicken and dumplings without spending all day in the kitchen! This recipe will be a hit with the whole family!
Ingredients
  • 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (you can throw ‘em in frozen!)
  • 1 Cream of Chicken Soup Recipe (or 2 cans of cream of chicken soup…but trust me, the homemade stuff will be much tastier in this recipe!)
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 onion finely diced
  • 3/4 cup chicken broth (with more on hand if needed)
  • For the biscuits:
  • 2 cups flour (use any combo that works for you. All wheat, half white/half wheat, etc…)
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup cold butter diced
  • 1 cup milk
Instructions
  1. Add the cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, 2 tablespoons of butter, diced onions and chicken to a pot. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer.
  2. Simmer until your chicken is cooked all the way through and you can remove it and shred it with 2 forks (the time will vary based upon the size of your chicken breasts and if you put them in frozen or not).
  3. Shred your chicken (you can use two forks for this) and set aside for a bit.
  4. Making the biscuits/dumplings:
  5. Mix the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt together in a bowl
  6. Cut in the cold butter and work it into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is the size of small peas. Don’t overwork it! You want the butter to still be cold.
  7. Add your milk to the mixture and knead just until it’s all moistened.
  8. Turn up the heat on your cream of chicken mixture on the stove until it’s at a high simmer.
  9. Drop biscuit dough in by the tablespoon full. Go kind of slow just dropping a few in at a time and letting the heat come back up in between biscuit drops (hereafter known as dumplings!).
  10. Add your chicken back in and allow to simmer for 10 minutes of so. Pull out a bigger dumpling and check inside to be sure it is cooked through. (At this point, if your mixture is looking way too thick, you can add some more chicken broth to thin it out. We like it thick though!)
  11. Salt and pepper to taste and garnish with some parsley!

 

Filed Under: Favorite Recipes, Homemade Tagged With: , , , ,

Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup – You Can Ditch the Can!

April 23, 2012

Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup



Cream of Chicken Soup.

The stuff casseroles are made of.

First off, I’m just going to say I always have a can or two in my pantry and I feel no shame over that. 

In a pinch, cream of chicken soup can pull together an otherwise unlikely cast of ingredients and make something edible and satisfying for the whole family.

But…the ingredients.

Oh the ingredients. 

That canned stuff is yucky for you.

There’s really no getting around it. 

However, if you make it yourself, it’s actually not that horrible! Still not something you’d want to eat on a daily basis, but at least it’s made with ingredients you can pronounce and have readily on hand at any given time.

Seriously, homemade cream of chicken soup will make you wonder why you keep that old standby can of cream of chicken soup in the pantry at all (and yet…I still do. At all times. Maybe it’s one of those things I picked up from my mother? Who knows.).

This recipe makes about 2 cans worth of cream of chicken soup. It can be frozen in an airtight container or just refrigerated if you’ll be using it soon.

Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup

Inspired by Tammy’s Recipes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon Poultry Magic (or other poultry seasoning)
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Salt to taste (this will depend on how salty your broth is)
1/4 teaspoon parsley
dash of paprika
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup flour

Directions:

  1. Stir together chicken broth and seasonings with 1/2 cup of milk. Bring to a boil.
  2. Meanwhile, stir the remainder of the milk and flour together in a separate bowl.
  3. Add a bit of the hot seasoned broth to the flour/milk mixture and stir it in to warm it up (since your milk is likely cold!).
  4. Slowly drizzle the flour/milk mixture into the hot broth, stirring as you pour.
  5. Whisk briskly until the mixture thickens and boils.
  6. Remove from heat and let cool. Pour into an air tight container if you won’t be using it immediately.

I store mine in a Mason Jar.

I have a recipe going up soon that will use this Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup recipe! Be sure to subscribe by email or follow on Facebook so you don’t miss out!

UPDATE: Enjoy this Cream of Chicken Soup Recipe with my Scratch Made Chicken and Dumplings!

Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup
Print
Don’t eat cream of chicken soup from a can! Make it yourself, it’s easier than you think.
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth (homemade or store bought)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Poultry Magic (or any poultry seasoning)
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • salt to taste (depends on how salty your broth is)
  • 1/4 teaspoon parsley
  • dash of paprika
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 3/4 cup flour
Instructions
  1. Stir together chicken broth and seasonings with 1/2 cup of milk. Bring to a boil.
  2. Meanwhile, stir the remainder of the milk and flour together in a separate bowl.
  3. Add a bit of the hot seasoned broth to the flour/milk mixture and stir it in to warm it up (since your milk is likely cold!).
  4. Slowly drizzle the flour/milk mixture into the hot broth, stirring as you pour.
  5. Whisk briskly until the mixture thickens and boils.
  6. Remove from heat and let cool. Pour into an air tight container if you won’t be using it immediately.

 

Filed Under: Favorite Recipes Tagged With: , , ,

The Oil Cleansing Method: It Really Works!

April 19, 2012

Oil Cleansing Method

Oil Cleansing Method
Oil Cleansing Method
I have always had acne.

I mean, I suppose there was a short time as a child that I was blemish free, but I also remember being the first kid in my grade to sport a pimple.

My acne in high school was painful. My parents wouldn’t take me to a dermatologist, so I just tried over the counter product after over the counter product. Nothing worked!

Finally, once I left my teens, my acne did die down a bit. No longer did I deal with painful cystic acne, but I still was far from clear skinned!

I had the best skin of my life when I was pregnant with my son. I remember feeling so beautiful! For the first time since that first pimple popped up, I felt confident leaving the house makeup free.

Unfortunately that was short lived.

Having kids taught me a lot about being confident in the skin I’m in, so thankfully I wasn’t crippled any longer by stepping out in public with bare skin.

I knew there had to be a way to conquer my bad skin though!

I heard about the Oil Cleansing Method several months back and thought it was ridiculous.

I have combination oily/dry skin so the idea of putting more oil onto my skin seemed incredibly counterproductive! Finally I’d had enough though and I decided to give it a try.

I found this website (The Oil Cleansing Method) that gave me the following options:

:: Oily Skin: Try a blend of 30% Castor Oil to 70% Sunflower Seed Oil
:: Balanced Skin: Try a blend of 20% Castor Oil to 80% Sunflower Seed Oil.
:: Dry Skin: Try a blend of 10% Castor Oil to 90% Sunflower Seed Oil

On that website, she states that you can also use Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil (cold pressed) in place of the Sunflower Seed Oil, and that you might need to play with the percentages until you hit your sweet spot.

I ended up finding that a blend of 25% Castor Oil and 75% Olive Oil was perfect for my skin!

I don’t use the oil cleansing method daily because that dried my skin out a bit too much.

Instead I make a habit of doing the following routine every other night:

  1. I have my oil blend in an airtight container in the bathroom. I pour a quarter size amount into my hand and start rubbing it in all over my face/neck in a circular motion. The oil takes off all of my makeup so no makeup remover is necessary. I do this for at least 3-5 minutes so I can be sure the oil has had time to really get into my pores.
  2. Next I run the water until it’s very hot. I wet a washcloth and wring it out so it’s dampened by the hot water.
  3. I place the hot washcloth on my face and let it stay on there until it starts to cool. Then I gently wipe away the oil. I usually repeat this at least one more time. Sometimes 2 more times.
  4. Now that the oil is off my face, I follow up with a cotton ball and witch hazel.
  5. Finally, I put on a good thick moisturizer. I’ve been using Olay Regenerist Night Recovery Moisturizing TreatmentOil Cleansing Method, which is a bit pricey but feels INCREDIBLE.
  6. That’s it!

It’s a longer process than simply washing your face, but it feels good to pamper yourself a bit after a long day. In between oil cleanses, I  just use water to rinse or if I am wearing makeup I use a gentle cleanser like CetaphilOil Cleansing Method.

My skin looks so much better! I don’t have a good before picture because I avoided pictures like the plague when my skin was broken out and I wasn’t wearing makeup. Here’s a not so great picture of me now though. Skin still isn’t flawless, but it’s come a long way!

Oil Cleansing Method

I would never have posted a no make up picture prior to the oil cleansing method (although I have to admit, I’m not feeling too super confident about it now either, LOL).

I love the oil cleansing method and I definitely think you should give it a try.

Have you tried the Oil Cleansing Method?

Filed Under: Homemade Tagged With: , ,

No Bake Healthy Energy Balls – Kid Approved!

April 18, 2012

No Bake Healthy Energy Balls



Lately I’ve been d-r-a-g-g-i-n-g.

I’m not sure what it is to be honest. I’m eating well and exercising.

I’m sleeping pretty well (unless you count last night…).

Yet, getting out of bed in the morning has been absolutely dreadful.

In order to try and reclaim a bit of my “pep“, I’ve started watching what I eat more closely. I do have a lot of weight to lose, so in addition to cutting calories, I’m also trying to cut out most “white” foods.

This means that I haven’t been baking as much as I normally do. Which, to be honest, is making me feel a bit deprived!

If I know anything about Heather, it’s that Heather does NOT like to be deprived.

Heather is far from a rebel, but if you deprive her of something she enjoys…watch out! (it’s okay, I can speak about myself in the 3rd person. It’s my blog.)

I was perusing some healthy recipes the other day though and I saw this recipe for no bake energy bites.

Okay, so it specifically says NO bake, so it probably doesn’t qualify as baking!

However, it does fulfill my longing to mix several ingredients together and end up with something sweet, tasty and satisfying. I detest coconut though, so I had to change up the recipe a bit.

When you factor in the energy boost from the healthy ingredients, AND the fact that my kids gobbled these up without hesitation…well I think we have a winner folks!

No Bake Energy Balls

Inspired by Smashed Peas & Carrots 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup oatmeal
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup rice krispies (I know, not the healthiest ingredient, but it added something familiar to the mix that we really enjoyed)
  • 1/2 cup ground flaxseed
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Shape into small balls (be sure to “crush” them a bit as you shape them. They hold their shape a bit better if you really compact them a bit) about 1 inch in diameter.

Store in airtight container and enjoy!

We really really enjoyed these. You can add or omit anything you want. Just know you might need to adjust the honey/other ingredients ratio if your mix is a bit too dry.

Super simple and you can make them as healthy as you want!

Printable Version:

No Bake Healthy Energy Balls – Kid Approved!
Print
Tasty No Bake Healthy Energy Balls. Versatile and tasty kid approved recipe!
Ingredients
  • 1 cup oatmeal
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup rice krispies (I know, not the healthiest ingredient, but it added something familiar to the mix that we really enjoyed)
  • 1/2 cup ground flaxseed
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
  1. Mix all the ingredients together and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  2. Shape into small balls (be sure to “crush” them a bit as you shape them. They hold their shape a bit better if you really compact them a bit) about 1 inch in diameter.
  3. Store in airtight container and enjoy!

 

Filed Under: Favorite Recipes Tagged With: , , ,

Mexican Beef Strips – A Quick and Cheap Meal

April 13, 2012

Mexican Beef Strips

beef strips
beef strips
Awhile back (around the time I learned how to use coupons), I started paying attention to when my local grocery store would mark down the meat that was about to expire.

Now, the meat isn’t really about to go bad.

It’s actually just at that time where you either need to cook it or freeze it. The grocery store needs to get rid of it quickly, but you can easily purchase a few packs and just stick them in your freezer until you are ready to use them!

I can generally count on finding beef strips in the markdown pile and always pick up a pack or two whenever I can.

How do you cook beef strips?

At first, I didn’t really know what to do with them! I can’t tell you how many times I overcooked beef strips! It seemed they just barely needed to touch the pan and they were overcooked.

Finally I realized that not only do they require very little cooking time, just like a larger steak they also need some “rest time”. During this rest time, they actually cook through a bit more.

So yes, barely touching the pan just about does it!

I found this tasty dressing to pour over the beef strips awhile back and now we have this meal a few times a month. It’s cheap, it’s super simple but the flavor is intense!
The secret is to cook the beef strips until just barely browned on the outside and than immediately move them into the dressing to “rest”. They’ll cook a bit more and be perfect by the time you sit down to eat!

Mexican Beef Strips

Inspired by TasteMag

Ingredients:

  • 1 package of beef strips (about pound or so)
  • a bit of olive oil for cooking the beef strips (just a drizzle)
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 T lime juice
  • 1 t dried oregano
  • 1 t ground cumin
  • ½ t ground coriander
  • ¼ t ground chilli powder
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • salt, to taste

Directions: 

  • Mix all of your ingredients together in a bowl.
  • Heat up a drizzle of olive oil in your pan. Cook the beef strips just long enough so they are barely browned. Be very cautious to not overcook! Less is more.
  • Place cooked beef strips into the dressing.

You can drain the dressing off at this point, or utilize it.

I drain it off and we typically serve this with some caramelized onions and corn tortillas and chipotle lime rice.

It’s SO good! I think you’ll love it too.

Let me know if you try it!

Here’s the printable version:

Mexican Beef Strips – A Quick & Cheap Meal
Print
These Mexican Beef Strips are made by cooking the meat first, then letting it rest in a zesty dressing. Beef strips are inexpensive & quick to cook.
Ingredients
  • 1 package of beef strips (about pound or so)
  • a bit of olive oil for cooking the beef strips (just a drizzle)
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 T lime juice
  • 1 t dried oregano
  • 1 t ground cumin
  • ½ t ground coriander
  • ¼ t ground chilli powder
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • salt, to taste
Instructions
  1. Mix all of your ingredients together in a bowl.
  2. Heat up a drizzle of olive oil in your pan. Cook the beef strips just long enough so they are barely browned. Be very cautious to not overcook! Less is more.
  3. Place cooked beef strips into the dressing.
Filed Under: Favorite Recipes Tagged With: , , , , ,
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