Recipes I have been enjoying.

I have been experimenting with a low carb diet, but not the type of low carb using those processed flour mixes, breads and tortillas and other ready made low carb products. The exception is whey protein and some safe sugar alternatives. My food is made at home and with real food!

So far, I think it is going well, I feel good and not deprived. My husband and kids have liked several things I have made which is a huge plus! Here are some of the recipes we have been enjoying that are available free on these people's blogs...

Healthy Living How To Chia Seed Jam

 You can find the recipe here. In my version, I use the Organic Antioxidant Fruit Blend available in the freezer section at Costco. It contains strawberries, blueberries, cherries, raspberries and pomegranate, how's that for healthy!! It makes the best tasting Chia Seed Jam, my kids love it and it gets eaten real fast (you can tell there is not much left lol).  Because there are so many seeds in the pomegranates and raspberries, I will thaw out the amount I want to use, then put into my vitamix along with the water (for example if I am making 3 cups, then I will use 3 TBSP of water) you need for the recipe and blend well, then strain through a fine mesh strainer. I usually have to use a spoon to push the juice through because it is thick. I then follow the directions to the recipe. When the jam is cooling, I will stir in 21 drops of NuNaturals Vanilla Stevia.


The Spunky Coconut Dairy Free Yogurt #2 

Made with 4 cups of Cashew Milk and 2 cups of Coconut Milk...thick and delish!

Chia Seed Jam makes the best yogurt topping!

You can find The Spunky Coconut's Dairy Free Yogurt #2 recipe here. In her recipe she calls for 4 cups of coconut milk and only 2 cups of cashew milk, but I made a batch of her cashew milk (here is a video that shows how to make it) and it makes 4 cups so I decided to use it all and use only 2 cups of coconut milk. I am so glad I did, because unless you love the flavor of coconut, I think it will really stand out. If you eat my version plain, you can taste a hint of coconut, but with toppings like the Chia Seed Jam, it will not be noticeable at all and you will still reap the benefits of coconut. Thankfully my two youngest love it (my oldest has not tried it yet) and I do too...I am out of Chia Seed Jam too :)


Amy Loves Her Life!!!! Oatmeal Packets

Aiden putting together the Oatmeal Packets.

My younger son Aiden loves oatmeal. When he finished eating the Quaker Brand flavored oatmeal packets, I brought up the idea of making our own, which he was very receptive to. Thanks to Pinterest, I found a simple recipe to make your own (click here). For the sugar, I used coconut/palm sugar, it's much healthier than brown sugar and actually does contain minerals and nutrients and tastes pretty much the same as brown sugar anyway. We made 27  1/2 cup bags, I know we saved quite a few pennies! The verdict on taste...Aiden and Eilan say they love it, especially with the Chia Seed Jam.

I hope I have inspired you to give some of these recipes a try and if you do, I hope you find them as tasty as we do!

Here is the new Karate Kid...

Kapow!

Showing off his new sparring gear courtesy of his Grandpa, his chest guard is the only thing missing and has been ordered and is on it's way.

My Husband and I bought him a gear bag as an early birthday present.

Aiden and Lily sparring today.

 If you follow me on Facebook, you will know that I am now a Karate Mom. My younger son, Aiden is taking Taekwondo at a local studio. He absolutely loves it and we spend a good 8 hours a week there. He rather recently got to try sparring and really liked it, so my Dad purchased the gear for him (thanks so much Dad and Bekkee!) Last Friday however, his gear had not come in yet and all he had to borrow was some gloves, but that was ok, there are other kids who do not have the gear either. He however was paired with a feisty, little 8 year old girl (he is 10), who has been doing karate for 3 years AND who had full sparring gear on. Boy she let loose on Aiden and got him in the jaw/neck area a couple of times till he was seeing stars almost. He said he felt like crying but sat down and took a few deep breaths then got right back up again. He managed to get a few good licks in at Lily too (don't worry she has full protective gear on).

I thought it was cute when Lily came up to me yesterday asking if we would be there on Friday (today) and I assured her we would. 

Today, Aiden was much more prepared for Lily lol. No seeing stars for him today!

Have a terrific weekend!

Steph

I'm back! Trying something new this month.

I'm back from taking a bit of a break from blogging...sometimes you just need to recharge for a little while till those creative juices start flowing again.

I have been fairly productive during my absence, relearning how to bake, but with sugar free sweeteners...the safe ones that is. I still am not real comfortable yet, but I have some tried and true recipes that my kids love as well as I do. I have been experimenting with the low carb lifestyle and I have to say, I like it! My body seems to agree with it as well. However, I have not done it for longer than 2 weeks at a time, so this month is  going to be my low carb, sugar free (with acceptable, safe sweeteners) experimental month. I will be continuing to eat gluten free of course.

What do I consider safe acceptable sweeteners? That would be stevia, Swerve (stevia, erythritol), Just Like Sugar (chicory root), small amount of xylitol and maltitol. I have been using these sweeteners for a couple of months now and have no problems with them. Everyone is different of course, so you need to listen to your body when trying new things.

I am also starting another "30 Day Get Up and Move Challenge" this month, I hope you will join me!
Check out my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/30DayGetUpAndMoveChallenge

I will be sharing with you soon, some of my favorite low carb recipes and cookbooks for those who may be interested.

Last month, my younger son, Aiden joined karate and is loving it! He told me he wishes he could take karate every minute of the day. Right now he is doing 6 hours a week...whew, but I enjoy watching him. The plan right now is to let him have 3 months doing karate alone to help him work on over coming his shyness, then the rest of the family will join him in taking classes. I am really looking forward to learning, but am so out of shape...another reason to get my "30 Day Get Up and Move Challenge" going again!

Aiden mid kick.

Have a wonderful April Fools Day!
No, this post is not a prank :)

Steph