just a quick note

hello peeps! I'm just popping in for a quick note, and I will be back later this weekend to write. I have been focusing on getting healthy and at the same time, ignoring my blog. I was going to say, sorry 'bout that, but that is kinda silly...cause I'm getting healthy! yay!! Anyhow, I haven't even checked in on all of your blogs, and for that, I am sorry! I need to get caught up on everyone and see what's been going on. Right now I am about to go for a long walk. I'm shooting for 4 miles...no reason I can't do it...but I'm headed over to my sister in laws as part of my walk and there are some nice hills on the way! If you know Pennsylvania, our roads are hilly and winding!

P.S. I tried on a shirt in the athletic department of JC Penney's yesterday....it was an XL....and it looked great! I am normally a 1X, which, for those of you who don't know, that is definitely bigger than an XL. Anyhow, I didn't bulge in it and there was even some loose material on the sides of the shirt. The arms were not tight at the top....unbelievable! I do declare I will be going back today and buying that shirt!!! It is so cute...it's light weight, great for walking, long sleeved and the color of a dusty pumpkin....I love it!

Ok, love you guys, I will be back before the end of the weekend with a post!! I haven't forgotten about you all...I'm just focusing.

P.S.S. Did you see those gray hairs up there on the right side of my forehead! I didn't even photoshop those out! au-naturale baby! hehe!

Feeling the health of eating a rainbow!

It's Monday morning and I am happy! Not because it's Monday...I'm just happy! My mood has been so good lately. I feel like I've gotten my old spunky self back. Also, the cooler weather is down right exhilarating! I actually WANT to take brisk walks for exercise again! You know....summer is beautiful and all, but me and heat just don't get along these days! Even more so, humidity and I are down right enemies!


So anyhow....why is my mood so freakin' fantastic???? The past 2 weeks, I've been eating extremely well...mostly raw fruits and raw vegetables. I've had meat only about 4 times: chicken burgers twice, pork roast, BBQ pulled pork, and chicken....ok, that's 5 times. Ya, basically, I'm only shopping in the produce section and at fruit markets. It's been fun though!!

The variety of foods I've been eating is a blast....and it's all so delicious it's not even funny! My energy and mental clarity is fantastic. Oh, I almost forgot...no dairy and no breads the past 2 weeks either. I have had a few multi grain wraps though. The only dairy I've had is the half n half in my morning coffee...{as well as 3 tsp. sugar.} 

The differences I have noticed these past 2 weeks have been pretty cool! For instance, the very first thing I noticed was on day 4 of eating like this. When I walked down the steps first thing in the morning......there was no pain in my hips, knees, ankles and feet. That in itself is pretty amazing! The crazy thing is, I never ever expected that. It just happened and I noticed it right away. I am telling you the truth people, for years...like the last 4 years at least....every single solitary morning, without fail, when I would walk down the steps first thing in the morning, it was painful and I would hold on the sides of the wall to kinda brace myself...and I would sorta ease myself down the steps.

In my mind, it was 100% due to my weight. I am 5 ft. 3 inches tall and I weigh right around 200 pounds. I know extra weight is very hard on knees and feet...so I figured I would be in pain until I lost about 30 pounds...something like that...something that would make a significant difference to the weight load on my joints.  Well......amazingly.....by day 4 of eating 95% of my daily food as raw fruits and vegetables....I may have lost about 3 pounds maybe, maybe 2 pounds.....whatever...but I don't think losing  a few pounds would be enough to take away pain from the waist down in my joints. Sooooo, the only thing I can attribute that to is the surplus of natural nutrient intake from the fruits and veggies that I've been feeding my body.

It's been 2 weeks since I started eating like this and the pain has not come back! Very, very crazy!! I also used to experience that same pain after sitting on the couch for a long time at night....I'd get up and go to walk to the kitchen and I would literally hobble!!  Seriously, the hubs and I would joke about it. This has been going on for longer than 4 years...it's just I'm going by how long we've been in this house....we've been here for 4 years. By the way, I have lost a little weight during these past 2 weeks....don't know how much, I don't own a scale, and I don't care....scales will get me into trouble anyhow!!!!...it's not important what the scale says, it's important if my clothes are getting loose and too big. I haven't gone down a size yet...but the clothes are feeling a loose and that is great!!

The main reason for me eating this way is to be as healthy as I can and to try to eliminate and or prevent disease.....losing weight is just a nice,wonderful, awesome bonus! Of course I want and really, really need to lose weight...but that will happen if I'm eating clean. The nice thing about this so far is the digestion....it's fast.....not sluggish. Also, I have no feeling of lethargy. I can't tell you how many naps {prior to the past 2 weeks} I have taken on the couch, mid-day, after the kids get home from school....like maybe a 1 hour nap...because I felt so sleepy and blah. I don't feel sleepy anymore...I don't feel blah anymore. Bonus!

One last note here...when I go up the steps, I am not out of breath anymore...when I walk up my driveway, I am not out of breath anymore. I mean, not like I was gasping for breath before....but it would make me feel a little winded and yucky...now I'm straight up and bam...that's it, no ill effects...no racing heart, no heavy breathing. Pretty cool.

The above photo there is the breakfast I just ate while typing this. As you can see, I'm still drinking coffee in the morning. Like I said, still using half n half and sugar. That is the only sugar I eat all day though...other than the natural sugar I get in fruits. One more thing I wanted to say in case anyone is curious. I have no restrictions on eating. I eat meals at the normal times...I eat again if I am hungry...and I eat whatever fruit or veggie I feel like at that moment. It does seem that I eat the majority of fruit in the morning and then lots of greens and veggies the second half of the day. Not that I won't eat an apple or watermelon as an evening snack...I'm just saying that's mostly how I've been doing it. It's kinda like...whatever I'm attracted to during that part of the day. I have also been eating 2 eggs some mornings when I feel like I am craving them. Also, in the evenings sometimes, I will have some organic blue corn tortilla chips. That's it people. So far so good!

F r i e d * * Z u c c h i n i * * B l o s s o m s

Zucchini blossoms.

They are completely edible.

I've only recently learned they were such a delicacy to the palate. 

Of course, I have always admired the glorious, gigantic blooms amongst my bountiful squash plants, but I  never anticipated they would show up on my dinner plate . . . let alone, be battered and fried. 

Fried zucchini blossoms . . . what a wonderful concept . . . yet so foreign a concept to me . . . as I have never been tempted by the eating of flora. Somehow, someway, I had the courage to try such a thing, and I am oh-so-glad I did. Is it NOT fun to step out of our comfort zone once in a while? 

I say yes!

I am ever so grateful that Kretchmann's Farm put these tender, young blossoms in our little wooden crate, as I would have never ventured forward to trying this if not given a little push! Such an easy thing really. Searching the net, I found a simple recipe for batter . . . laden with beer, that is . . . well, just a 1/2 cup of beer . . . not so much laden . . . just enough to give a magnificent, yet subtle infused flavor. 

Well, it was now or never. Another day contemplating the eating of flowers would have surely been the demise of the blossoms! I gently wiped each with a lightly dampened towel . . . careful to not tear. I whipped up the creamy batter, scooped many a dollop of Crisco into my cast iron skillet over a medium high  flame....melting it down and rising it to temperature. I plucked the stamen from the center of each flower,  then dunked each into the batter. Gently, one at a time, placing each coated blossom into the sizzling oil . . . cooking a minute or two on each side.  Once they were light golden and crisp, I plucked each blossom from the hot oil and let them rest and drain on a torn piece of paper grocery bag. A sprinkling of salt and pepper and wa-laa, they were ready for devouring. 

Wow, don't they look delicious!! 

I let them cool a couple minutes and then bravely . . . well, brave for me . . . took a bite.

And . . .

I really liked it!

I found most of the flavor to be at the base of the flower.

It tasted just like zucchini!

I will  definitely make these again!

I am hooked now!

If you find yourself eager to fry a few of these babies . . . you may find them at  farmer's markets or your own garden, of course. There are male and female flowers and both are edible. You'll want to pick them when they are tender and young and have barely blossomed. Just be careful you aren't picking female flowers before they've had the chance to bear fruit. The male flowers are safe to pick because they will not bear fruit. They will have a thinner, longer stem. The female flowers will have a thick stem and a tiny bulb at the bottom of the flower . . . which then grows into a zucchini. I have read that once the zucchini is sufficiently growing, it is safe to pick the blossom without worry of halting it's growth. 

I hope I have inspired you to give this summer-time delicacy a go! 

Some of you may be old pros at cooking zucchini blossoms.

Some of you may even have fond memories of your grandmother cooking these.

Whatever the case, let me know.

I am very interested to hear about it!

Recipe for batter:

1/2  cup water

1/2  cup beer

2  beaten eggs

1  cup flour

Mix well and dunk blossoms in batter and fry in oil.

Drain and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

my version of strawberry spinach salad

I love strawberry spinach salad!! There's just something about the combination of those flavors all mixing together that I love! Sooo.... the classic strawberry spinach salad is usually a combination of fresh spinach, strawberries, red onions, blue cheese, almonds and red wine vinaigrette or a poppy seed dressing.....oh so yummy!!!!

I think it is refreshing to have fruit in my salads...certain kinds of fruit that is...strawberries, blueberries and apple are all great! If I'm doing fruit though, there are certain veggies I won't put in my salad....like tomatoes or cucumber...I feel like the fruit needs to be the shining star...and not sure I would like the combo.

And by the way.....one cup of strawberries provides you with 160% of the daily recommended allowance of vitamin C!! That's awesome! They are also high in folate and potassium...not to mention the antioxidants!!

Here is my spin on strawberry spinach salad.

fresh baby spinach

sliced fresh strawberries

chopped walnuts

chopped celery

rough chopped shallots

dried cranberries

crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

Dress with white peach balsamic vinegar

or

any light, fruity vinaigrette

This is a great salad to make right now, as strawberries are overflowing in the grocery stores...and for a great price! Personally, I cannot wait until I can buy locally grown strawberries in June....that's when strawberries are in season here in SW Pennsylvania. June just seems so far away though...so, I have been buying the grocery store strawberries from Florida. Well...I am no stranger to Florida strawberries, as I lived there for 5 years and ate many a strawberry from local farms! When are strawberries locally in season for you where you live?? Just curious!

Happy eating! 

growing alfalfa sprouts

You cannot imagine how GOOD,  freshly grown alfalfa sprouts taste! They are so crisp and sweet and fresh! And . . . they take hardly ANY effort at all to grow.

Like, no effort people!

Really! 

It's so easy! 

Well, they do take a teeny bit of effort, but I promise you, it's no big deal!

Okay, first off, let me tell you about a sandwich I made the other day. Hang tight, we're still talkin' sprouts here! This sandwich was the sandwich to end all sandwiches. It was the bomb! I'm telling you, I was not even expecting it to taste this good. I cannot wait to make another, and another and another!

Here's the ingredient list for the sandy-sandwich:

whole wheat bread

ham lunch meat

turkey breast lunch meat

slice of provolone/mozzarella cheese

very large handful of alfalfa sprouts

sweet pickles

Hellman's mayonnaise

Yep.

That's it.

And it was to die for!

Trust me on this one!

I swear the sprouts were the star of the show! The slight crunch you get from the freshness of the sprouts is like . . . I don't know . . .it's just good! The flavor of the sprouts is a little . . . earthy . . . and sweet. I cannot describe it any other way. You are just going to have to taste for yourself!

Here's what ya do and how ya go about doin' it!

Grab a 1 quart jar.

Measure 2 Tbsp. alfalfa seeds and pour into jar.

Cover seeds in jar with about 1 inch of water.

Swirl water around to make sure all seeds are coated.

Cover mouth of jar with a piece of cheesecloth or a coffee filter with pin prick holes to allow for air circulation.

Fasten rubber band over cheesecloth or coffee filter to hold in place.

Place jar in dark place such as a kitchen cupboard.

Let seeds sit overnight.

In the morning, drain water from seeds through the cheesecloth or coffee filter.

Then, remove cheesecloth, fill jar with a couple inches of water and swirl around to rinse and then drain the water again through the cheesecloth.

Next, leave the drained seeds in jar covered with cheesecloth or coffee filter for about 12 hours, in a dark spot.

After 12 hours, rinse seeds in jar with a couple inches of water and drain through the cheesecloth.

Leave drained seeds to sit in dark spot.

Repeat the "rinse, drain, and let-sit-in-dark-spot" process, every 12 hours.

Within 4 days your sprouts will be approximately 2 to 3 inches long and ready to eat.

Store the grown sprouts in the refrigerator, covered with tight lid, or a piece of plastic wrap.

Sprouts will stay fresh for about a week.

Enjoy!

P.S. It's quite the gratifying experience to grow sprouts as it is almost full proof, and you will see the results with a day or so.

A WORD OF WARNING: make sure you buy organic alfalfa seeds that are specifically for food consumption. Do not use commercial seeds for farming that may be sprayed with insecticide. Also, follow directions precisely for sprouting...there will be directions on the package.  Follow sanitation and rinsing guidelines posted on package. A great brand to use is by Now Health Foods. http://www.nowfoods.com/

Mousey Valentines

I just wanted to show you my son's valentines. They are so adorable. He has made these before and just loved them...so he made them again!

We cut out hearts from card stock, wrote from Easton on the inside...no valentine-y phrases so as not to be embarrassing for a 4th grade boy...and a chocolate lollipop on the inside creating the tail of the mouse with the stick.

The lollipop mold is a flat strawberry...it's all solid chocolate..he thought they would look like chocolate covered strawberries. I don't think kids like chocolate covered strawberries, but...solid chocolate that looks like a strawberry...well, I think they would love that!

portabellas, cherry tomatoes and an egg

MUSHROOMS
*low fat, low sodium, low calories
*rich in fiber, selenium, potassium and B vitamins
*one medium mushroom has more potassium than a banana or glass of orange juice

TOMATOES
*high in Lycopene, an antioxidant that helps fight against cancerous cell formation
*rich in vitamins C, A and K {vitamin K is good for bone health}
*vitamin A in the form of beta carotene great for eye health and preventing night blindness and macular degeneration
*high in potassium
*Lycopene is also connected with preventing heart disease
*high in fiber which is good for lowering cholesterol and blood sugar

EGGS
*studies show eggs do not affect cholesterol levels in most people
*6 grams protein
*9 essential amino acids
*5 grams fat, 1.5 grams saturated fat
*Lutein, found in yolk is good for eye health
*Choline found in yolk stimulates brain development and performance

***Free range chickens produce healthier eggs higher in vitamins, lower in fat and cholesterol due to plenty of exercise, a healthy diet of grass, leaves, berries, insects and worms, plenty of fresh water and fresh air and almost no stress.
The yolks of eggs from fee range chickens are a deep orange color compared to eggs laid by chickens confined to small cages that produce a pale yellow yolk. The healthy, orange yolk has 7 times more beta carotene than the pale yellow yolks that aren't free range

OLIVE OIL
*monounsaturated fatty acid, a healthy dietary fat, but should be used in moderation

P.S. The egg in the photos above is from my free range chickens. We have six hens that produce the most beautiful, healthy and delicious eggs. If possible, consider raising hens for eggs for your family. It's easy, economical, and fun...not to mention the healthy fresh eggs you'll have year round!

a perfect breakfast

Oh, zee time fliez when joo are having fun. I'm not sure what kind of accent that was...I think it was French. Hee Hee. It's been a week since I last posted. I wanted to share with you, what I had for breakfast this morning.

fresh blackberries
baguette slices shmeared with goat cheese and rosemary cream cheese
and..freshly steeped black raspberry and sage tea with honey

With the warm glow of sun coming through my window this morning, the blackberries tasted all the more sweeter. The honey was perfect..unbelievably delicious..



..the first drizzle from a new jar with the honey comb inside..and..the blackberry sage tea was mild and smooth and pleasant.

Mmm. A perfect morning.