MENU MAKER MOM DOESN'T HAVE A MENU!!!!

I don't have to cook this week!!!  I don't even have to have a menu!  My mom, the girls, and I are going on vacation to New York City!!!  (and yes, I am shouting!)

I'm doing the HaPpY DaNcE!!!!  Yipee!

Oh, don't worry about the Man of the House... he has meals prepared for the entire week.  (SPOILED!)

As I've cooked over the last week or so, I packaged up a plate and froze the containers.  And if you're going to ask me why they're not labelled... 

He will just have to be surprised.  (I'm evil that way!)

~~~*~~~

I won't be posting much this week, since I'll be livin' it up.  But I'll be back next week with photos of our week in the Big Apple! 

Have a WONDERFUL week, friends!!

MY SOAPBOX ABOUT FOREVER 21 AND THEIR TEENAGE MATERNITY FASHIONS

We Mamas of girls are faced with enormous challenges when raising girls of high moral character. We are faced with a continuous, all day saturation of sex, violence, and drugs on tv, on the internet, on billboards, in magazines... EVERYWHERE. Girls are sassy and sexy at the age of 13.  It is just driving me mad!


The Daddy and I have an open line of communication with our daughters. They know where we stand on the biggies like drugs and premarital sex. Just say NO is what we’ve taught them, along with all the reasons WHY to say no. So far they’re on board with us. We trust them and have no reason to stop trusting them.

But there are groups out there who are trying their darnedest to get our girls, and your girls, and your boys, to jump ship and join the ranks of said groups. They are stalking our young innocents like a hungry lion with plans to steal their youth and kill their innocence, all for a dime.

I have an example of one of these groups:  I was so disheartened this week to find out that one of my daughters’ favorite clothing stores, Forever 21, is now carrying maternity clothing.  Yes, I said M-A-T-E-R-N-I-T-Y clothing.  Clothing meant for pregnant women.  But what are the ages of "women" who shop at Forever 21? 

I know they state that the preggo clothing is not for teenagers. If that were true, why does their marketing appeal DIRECTLY to teenagers? It’s no accident. Their general market is the “around 21” age group. “Around 21” means a little older than 21… and a little younger than 21. Do we really need a line of maternity wear for girls younger than 21???

{{{“Hello out there, Forever 21 company!!! Where is your conscience???”}}}

I work at a school. I see wide-eyed young girls from time to time who say they WANT to become pregnant. Why? In their immature mind, they think will look cute, and there are cute maternity clothes, and the baby will be so cute, and the cute boyfriend will love the cute baby and stay with the girl, who like I said, will look so cute. These young girls have no sense of real-life reality, which developmentally is exactly where they are supposed to be.

But when these young immature innocent girls are faced with the pretend reality of baby-mama cuteness and now, fashionable teenage-approved maternity duds, how are we parents supposed to do our job?

Sometimes I just want to move to the moon, or at least to a far away unknown island. But since I can’t, I’m just asking ~ no, BEGGING ~ the media and mass merchants to keep their grimy hands off my kids’ innocence...  Just take your lion's roar and go stalk someone your own size and age.

For now, I will start practicing a little roar of my own...

I am the MAMA! 
Hear me ROAR!!!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Post Script:  Companies only bend to the almighty dollar.  While voicing concern to the corporation that owns Forever 21 might make you feel better, a true ROAR to any merchant is to stop buying their product.  Hit 'em where it hurts, I say!

Testing

THYROID THURSDAY :: Sleep, It's a Good Thing!

Sleep.

How many zzzzzz's do you get each night?

I've always been a night owl by nature.   In the late night hours I get a second wind, and I read, watch movies, blog, surf the internet, crochet… basically waste lots of time.   I end up getting only 5 to 6 hours of zzzz's.  This is my true nature, but I’m making it my “used to be”.

Notice that I said “used to be”?   The “used to be” is my pre-thyroidectomy life. The old me.

Getting enough sleep is vital for anyone, but especially those of use who have out-of-whack thyroids or none at all.   Get too little sleep and cortisol starts to take over, leading to a lot of belly fat, insulin resistance, and the desire to overeat and chow down on carbohydrates and sweets.   In a nutshell, not enough sleep will wreck your hormones and make you fat. Yuck!

Now I need a full 7-8 hours blissful slumber. Now I relish long visits to dreamland.

What's worse is now I also like to take naps.  Yes, I'm a napper.  Call me Mrs. Rip Van Winkle.  Now I'm the girl who relishes all those moments when I can sleep like a baby.

Yes, the old me is gone, along with my thyroid.

The new me knows that sleep gets me through the day. If I get my full 8 hours, I have amazing levels of energy during my day. I feel great! If I combine great sleep with great nutrition and some time spent outside, life is wonderful!  It's all a balancing act that I'm learning.

If I fall into my pre-thyroidectomy habits and get less than 7-8 hours, I spend the day wishing for my nap time. I feel like my eyes never quite open all the way. My joints hurt. My head hurts. I want to eat cookies and bread. I feel puffy. Yes, I said puffy.  It's weird.

I’m learning to treat sleep less like a thief that robs me of my awake time, and more like a luxury that recharges my body.  I don’t put it off like I used to. I look forward to putting my head on my soft cushy pillow and snoozing for at least 8 hours.  And I’m learning to use earplugs so that my hubby’s snoring doesn’t wake me too, but that’s another story!

Sleep. It’s a good thing.  Get some tonight!

“Just say AHHHHHH…”

What does that make you think of? You could follow it by “CHOO” and it would be the sound of a refreshing sneeze. That’s not so bad. Or you could sing a beautiful tune along with the sound and it would be a sweet little song. Definitely not so bad.

Or you could make the sound while you hold you mouth as gaping and wide as you possibly can for the dreaded DENTIST as he leans in toward you with tortuous tools of pain such as metal drills and spikes. Ugggghhhh!!!!

Why do I bring this up?

Menu Maker Mom is having a root canal today! Oh, say it ain’t so!

The sad truth about me is that I have three irrational fears. Terrible uncontrollable, embarrassing fears that absolutely make my knees knock and my stomach flutter and bubble: Tornadoes, Flying, and Dentists.

Now it is extremely unfair that I have to face two of my fears within one week. Of my own free will, I’m paying the dentist to torture me with metal spikes and drills today, then I’m boarding a flying prison fueled by rockets on Monday. While I look forward to having a pretty, white pain-free tooth that wears a crown and embarking on my exciting New York City adventure, the trade off to get to the good stuff just freaks me out!

So please say a prayer for me as I “just say AHHHHHH” today, and then board a traveling pressurized cannon called a jet next Monday.

And I’ll be sure to keep an eye on the weather this week.

We have rain in the forecast.

Missie's Cake-In-A-Mug Recipe

Menu Maker Mom Twin, Missie, loves to cook.  She especially loves to make cakes-in-a-cup.  Cakes -in-a-cup are so great for kids with a sweet tooth (which ones don't have a sweet tooth 24 hours a day???), for college students, or for anyone who likes to have a bite of cake now and then without breaking out the cake pans.

Here are a couple of her FAVE recipes:

Chocolate Cake:
4 tablespoons all purpose flour

4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons baking cocoa
1 egg (or 1/4 cup egg beaters)
3 tablespoons milk 3 tablespoons oil (or applesauce)
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
1/2 tsp. vanilla 

1.  Put the dry ingredients in a ceramic mug,  mixing well with a fork.
2.  Pour in the milk, vanilla and oil, and mix well.
3.  Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
4.  Add the chocolate chips (if using) and mix again.
5.  Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts. The cake will rise over the top of the mug and look like an erupting volcano, but don't freak out and turn the microwave off.  It's okay!!!
6.  Allow to cool a little, then EAT!   Don't let it cool too long, though.  Since it was made in a microwave, it could become hard and rubbery if set out too long.

To make life easier for mom (and a whole lot cleaner!), make several packets of dry ingredients ahead of time.  Young cooks will have a few less items to throw around the kitchen!

**********************

Here's a way to make a bunch of cake mix packets from boxed cake mix:

1 box cake mix, any flavor
1 box instant pudding mix in a complimentary flavor(3 1/2 ounce )

Place dry cake mix and pudding mix in a large mixing bowl and stir well to blend.
Measure out 1/2 cup portions and place each in a plastic sealable snack bag.

To cook:
1. spray inside of coffee cup with non-stick vegetable spray. 
2. Empty contents of cake mix bag into cup and add one egg, one tablespoon oil and one tablespoon water. 3. Mix well. 
4. Microwave on high for 2 minutes at 1000 watts.

************************

Glaze for cakes-in-a-cup:

1/3 cup of powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons of one of the following:  powdered creamer (for vanilla cake, etc.), hot cocoa mix (for chocolate cake), Crystal Light flavor (for fruit flavor cake like orange and lemon), strawberry milk flavor (for strawberry or funfetti cake), etc.

Put the glaze mix into additional snack bags.

While cake is baking, place glaze mix into a small bowl and add 1 1/2 teaspoons water.  Pour glaze over warm cake-in-a-cup and enjoy!


You can also use fudge topping, Carmel topping, marshmallows, or chocolate chips on top of cake before microwaving.

**************************

By the way, cake mix and glaze mix packets tucked into mugs make GREAT gifts and party favors!  Just don't forget to include the directions!!

DON'T FORGET TO ENTER THE CONTEST!

Click here to enter and help me make a poster for Good Morning America!

BATCH COOKING :: Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

Get ready to fill your freezer with 5 delicious chicken recipes. What’s great is that 2 of these recipes are perfect for busy nights and use the crock pot. One of the recipes is a healthy replacement for your kiddo’s favorite chicken nuggets.


Be sure to look for bags of boneless skinless chicken breasts on sale. Each bag usually comes with 6-8 pieces, so buy at least 5 bags. If you spend $6.00 per bag, your meals still cost less than $6.00 each!!!

** Don’t forget to add these meals to your Make-a-Menu Calendar as soon as they hit the freezer!!**

MENU MAKER MOM’S FREEZER MENU:
Tropical Chicken
MMM’s Crunchy Chicken Tenders
Sensational Chicken and Potatoes
Parmesan Chicken
Hurry Up Chicken Fajitas

INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup BBQ sauce
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 cup Italian salad dressing
1 cup spaghetti sauce
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup orange marmalade
4 tsp. pepper
3 Tbsp. flour
4-1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. minced garlic (fresh or jar)
½ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. ground cumin
2-1/2 tsp. salt
4-1/2 tsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. dried parsley
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1/3 cup bread crumbs
30 boneless skinless chicken breasts
30 oz. of cornflakes (store brand is great, or use coupons to get FREE cereal!)
2 Green peppers
2 onions
4 potatoes
1-1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
4 cups milk
4-6 slices mozzarella cheese
1 cup parmesan Romano cheese, grated
1 8 oz. can pineapple chunks

FREEZER SUPPLIES:
2 quart freezer bag, 3 gallon freezer bag.  Label your freezer bags:

1 quart-size bag with “Tropical Chicken”
1 gallon-size bag with “MMM’s Crunchy Chicken Tenders – bake on cookie sheets at 350 for 10-15 minutes”
1 gallon-size bag with “Sensational Chicken and Potatoes”
1 gallon-size bag with “Parmesan Chicken”
1 quart-size bag with “FAST Stovetop Chicken Fajitas”

KITCHEN TOOLS:
3 large mixing bowls, 2 cookie sheets, 1 shallow bowl, 1 medium mixing bowl, food processor or blender (optional)

STEP-BY-STEP:
1. 4 HOURS or ONE NIGHT BEFORE: Marinate 6 chicken breasts in ¼ cup Italian salad dressing in the refrigerator.

2. Cut 10 chicken breasts long-wise into ½” strips. Put one half the strips into the bag labeled “FAST Stovetop Chicken Fajitas”. Add 2 Tbsp. minced garlic, 2 Tbsp. canola oil, ¼ cup soy sauce, 1 tsp. pepper, 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, ¼ tsp. ground cumin, 1-1/2 tsp. lemon juice to bag. Squish and squeeze to coat. Seal and freeze.

3. Cut the other half of the chicken strips further, into 2” slices. Put into the medium bowl. Sprinkle 3 Tbsp. flour over top and toss together. Put into the bag labeled “Tropical Chicken”. Seal and freeze.

4. Heat oven to 350. Coat a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Pour 4 cups milk into a large bowl. Cut 8 chicken breasts into 1” strips. Put into the milk.

5. Process the 30 oz. corn flakes by using the pulse function of your food processor or blender until the flakes are very tiny, DO NOT MAKE THE FLAKES INTO DUST!!! If you don’t have a food possessor or blender, just put the flakes into a plastic bag and pound with a rolling pin.

6. Pour the crushed corn flakes into a large bowl. Add 4 tsp paprika, 4 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp salt, 2 tsp pepper to the flakes. Place chicken strips one at a time in the mixture, pressing down to coat very well.

7. Place strips on prepared cookie sheet. Bake 15-18 minutes or until juices run clear. When done, cool then flash freeze. Place in bag labeled “Chicken Tenders – bake on cookie sheets at 350 for 10-15 minutes”. Seal and freeze.

8. Put 6 chicken breasts into the bag labeled “Sensational Chicken and Potatoes”. Pour ½ cup Italian salad dressing on top. Seal and freeze.

9.  Heat oven to 350. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray.

10. Remove the 6 marinating chicken breasts from the refrigerator. In a shallow bowl, add ½ cup parmesan cheese, 1/3 cup bread crumbs, 2 Tbsp. dried parsley, ½ tsp. paprika, ¼ tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. pepper. Press chicken pieces one at a time into crumb mixture.

11. Place coated chicken pieces the prepared cookie sheet. Pour any extra crumb mixture on top of chicken pieces. Bake approximately 30-45 minutes or until juices run clear. Cool. Flash freeze. Place in bag labeled, “Parmesan Chicken” and freeze.

SERVING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Tropical Chicken – Thaw. Place in CROCK POT. In a small bowl, mix 1/3 cup orange marmalade, 1/3 cup bbq sauce, 2 Tbsp. soy sauce, ½ tsp. ginger. Pour over chicken. Add ½ sliced green pepper, ½ sliced onion, 1 small can pineapple chunks (drained). Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve with steamed rice and fresh steamed broccoli.

2. MMM’s Crunchy Chicken Tenders – Place frozen strips on a cookie sheet and bake 10 minutes or until heated through.

3. Sensational Chicken and Potatoes – Thaw. Pour into CROCK POT. Top with 1 tsp. Italian seasoning and ¼ cup parmesan cheese. Cut 4 potatoes into wedges and lay on top of chicken. Top with ¼ cup Italian salad dressing, 1 tsp. Italian seasoning, and ¼ cup parmesan cheese. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Serve with a big green salad.

4. Parmesan Chicken – Preheat oven to 400. Pour ½ cup spaghetti sauce into a 9” x 13” casserole dish that’s been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Cook in oven for 10 minutes. Top chicken with the remaining ½ cup of spaghetti sauce. Place mozzarella slices on top of chicken. Bake another 10 minutes, or until heated through. Serve with crusty Italian bread and a big bowl of salad.

5. FAST Stovetop Chicken Fajitas – Drain marinated chicken. Slice 1 small onion and one small green pepper. Heat one Tbsp. canola oil in a large skillet. Pour chicken into skillet. Stir fry on med-high heat until done. Serve with tortillas, Spanish rice, guacamole, lettuce, tomato, cheddar, sour cream, and salsa. OLE’!

NEW YORK CITY, HERE WE COME!!!! (and our first contest!)

 

Yes, Menu Maker Mom, the Mama of Menu Maker Mom, and the Menu Maker Twins will be in NYC next week!

We're so excited!  We're all NYC newbies, as my mother and I haven't been there since approximately 1969, and the MMM Twins have never been to the Big Apple. 

We can't wait to see Times Square, The Met, the Museum of Natural History, do a little shopping in SOHO, ride bikes in Central Park, go to the top of the Empire State Building, go to the Statue of Liberty, and just simply take in all the sights and sounds of The Big City.   We will be thrilled by everything, even stuff like transportation...  The MMM Twins and I have never ridden in a cab (we are country girls), and none of us have ever experienced any type of subway other than the sandwich kind!!!  (Love those Subway sandwiches!)

Yes, we are tourists and we will visit all the touristy places, do all the touristy stuff, and wear our cameras around our necks like tourists!

So, My Menu Maker Mom friends, this is where YOU come in:

Among all the fun outings and experiences we have planned, we are headed to Central Park on Friday morning, July 30, for the taping of Good Morning America.  Of course, we will need to make a sign.  But what to say?.....

I'm asking for your help.  I need your suggestions!  Please email or post comment with your creative ideas! 

Help me make our sign!

I've never done a contest before, so here's how I'm going to handle it:

1.  The prize is my favorite cookbook, Southern Living's Busy Mom's Weeknight Favorites:

2.  Comment your ideas by Wednesday night, July 21, at 12:00 a.m., CST.  ** Your odds of winning are SUPER GOOD, as the contest runs for less than 3 days!  INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS in your comment!!!

3.  Since I've never done this, and it's short notice, we will choose in the following manner:  The old fashioned "pick the winner from the hat" method.  MMM and MMM Twins will do this honestly and fairly!

4.  If you want a second entry, "follow me", in the upper right corner of this blog.  Be sure to comment that you've done this so I can enter your name a second time.

I will contact the winner on Thursday, July 22, 2010 to make arrangements to mail your new cookbook!

GOOD LUCK, FRIENDS!!!

Menu Plan Monday :: July 19 - July 25

How do Mondays seem to creep up faster and faster?  Summer is just racing by.  We are loving every last second of it!

As I cook this week, I'll be making enough to freeze in single-serving portions for hubby.  He'll be feeding himself next week as the ORIGINAL Menu Maker Mom (my mom), this Menu Maker Mom (ME), and the Teenage Twins head to New York City. 

Yes, I said NEW YORK CITY!!!!!  I'm so excited!  I'll fill you with more details this week...

***************************

Here's what Menu Maker Mom's family will be eating this week:

Monday - Cheese Enchiladas (stay tuned for the recipe and photos later in the week!), Spanish Rice, Avacado salad, Tortillas, Lemonade

Tuesday - Porcupine Eggs (from the freezer!), steamed fresh green beans, brown rice, gravy, iced tea

Wednesday - Frijoles with leftover spanish rice, cornbread, lemonade

Thursday - Cheesy Saucy Crockpot Chicken (dump chicken in the crockpot; cover with Campbells cheddar soup & 1/2 a can of Rotel), buttered egg noodles, fruit salad, iced tea

Friday - Out to Chilies (thanks for the gift certificate, Candi!)

Saturday - GAME NIGHT!  Grilled hot dogs, Homemade Chili, grilled stuffed jalepenos, Grandma's Potato Salad, relish tray, fresh watermelon, Fritos

Sunday - Sunday Roast with potatoes and carrots, Angel Salad, rolls, gravy, pumpkin pie, iced tea

************************

Have an AWESOME week, my friends!  Life is good!

FUN FOODS :: Marshmallow Cupcake on a Stick!

My daughters went to the birthday party of one of their friends yesterday, and this is one of the favors they received. 

IT'S JUST TOO STINKIN' CUTE!!!!

I'm going to have to try making these.  It's simply a very large marshmallow drenched in colored sugar, then topped with colored icing and sugar candy decorations.  Set inside a colorful cupcake wrapper, then impaled on a skewer, it becomes a Marshmallow Cupcake on a Stick!

Here it is in a cellophane bag and ribbons:

GARDEN GOODNESS :: Red Bell Peppers

Don't those look absolutely yummy??? Full of vitamin C, moist on the inside, crispy, sweet, totally organic, just waiting to be dipped into hummus or sauteed with fajitas. 

WOWZA!!!  YUM!!!

This pic was taken at the end of last month.  Now the plants are worn out.  Burnt up in the South Texas summer sun.  They've given their gifts, and for that I say, "THANKS!"

Can't wait to replant next month!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven"

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Friday FUN Day: The Mad Hatter's Tea Party

Even though they have cell phones, computers, music galore, wii games, movies, trampolines, bicycles, a golf cart to drive, etc., etc....

Teenagers get bored easily.

Hmmmmffff...

My girls were sitting around one afternoon, saying "We're bored!". 

Yes, teens love to say, "I'm bored".  Actually, it's not a statement.  It's sort of a whine. 

Teens love to whine.

And smart mom's love to reply to a whiny "I'm bored" with "If you're bored I have some chores for you to do". 

That reply ALWAYS shuts 'em up and gets 'em busy real fast!!!!

After I made my obligatory reply to their sighfully made boredom statement, creativity kicked in.  The bored teens decided they wanted to plan a Mad Hatter's Tea Party.  They asked, I gave permission, and I told them that this would be THEIR party, not MINE.  I gave them a budget of $20.00 and promised my help and support.  Of course, Nana purchased a few decorations.  (Grandmas always like to help out!) 

What an awesome experience!  Along with having a GREAT time, the girls learned to plan something from beginning to end and stuck to their budget.  They made their costumes, as did their friends.  We even fashioned a Mad Hatter's hat from an old cowboy hat and paper mache!  They did the shopping, the cooking, the cleaning, made invitations, did the decorating. 

This Mama is proud of what they did!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Mad Hatters Tea Party

The cast of characters:

Rabbit, Mad Hatter, Alice, White Queen, Chesshir Cat

Menu

Finger snacks

On the table:  bowls of Gummy Worms, Skittles, and M&Ms

Main Menu

Missie’s Marvelous Devilled Eggs

Chicken and Cheese Sandwiches

Skewers of Cantaloupe, Strawberry, and White Grape

Relish Tray of Cucumbers, Carrots, and Pickles with Creamy Ranch Dressing

Potato Chips

Sammie’s Lucious Lemonade

Dessert

Mini Cupcakes made of spice cake and cream cheese frosting.

Cupcakes have "Eat Me" written on them just like the little Petit Fours in the movie!

Mad Hatter’s Tournament

Bubble Blowing Contest

Pin the Tail on the Rabbit

Flamingo Croquet

Frisbee Toss

Spoons card game

Wii: Alice in Wonderland

THYROID THURSDAY: Book Review

Welcome to my first issue of THYROID THURSDAY. I decided to start this column because of my own experience. In December of 2009, I had a thyroidectomy. While it was an easy surgery, I wasn’t prepared for the sluggishness and weight gain rollercoaster that would follow. I researched and researched, looking for information related to managing weight and energy without a thyroid, but have found little information. Most info is aimed toward people who have hypothyroidism, but still have their thyroids. Us folks without one seem to be in a gray area.

One book I recently read is Master Your Metabolism by Jillian Michaels. WOW! What an awesome and informative read! I seldom read diet-hype books, but this one caught my eye because of its focus on metabolism, especially as it relates to the thyroid. One thing that makes Michael's advice more meaningful is that she has personal experience in the area of thyroid health as she has had her own issues for years.  In addition, she has a full and extensive reference bibliography at the end of her book.  The amount of expert consultation in this book is amazing!

I love Michael’s philosophy of REMOVING foods that don’t help or actually hurt you by triggering your fat-storing hormones. She suggests just getting rid of the junk! But don’t think that your pantry will be empty. She has full suggestions on how to REPLACE those foods with healthier versions that are packed with power nutrients that feed your fat-BURNING hormones. Finally, she leads you on the path to REBALANCE through foods that maximize metabolic impact.

In her book, Jillian Michaels discusses the importance of removing toxins from the home, why organics are best, and gives sample menus and recipes to get you started. Best of all, no weird recipes here!

Among her suggestions, she encourages you to:

1. REMOVE:
Hydrogenated fats
Refined grains
High fructose corn syrup
Artificial sweetener
Artificial colors and preservatives
Glutamates

2. REDUCE:
Starchy vegetables
Tropical, dried, and canned fruits
Excess soy
Full-fat dairy
Fatty meats
Canned foods
Caffeine

3. REPLACE what you removed with:
Legumes
Alliums
Berries
Meat (grass fed / no hormones added)
Eggs (organic, cage free)
Colorful fruits and vegetables
Dark green leafy vegetables
Nuts and seeds (only 1 serving daily! No more!)
Dairy (organic, hormone free)
Whole grains
Cruciferous vegetables

4. BALANCE your diet (30% protein, 40% carbs, 30% fat)
Eat breakfast 1 hour after waking
Eat every 4 hours
No eating after 9pm
No carbs at your last meal

I can tell you that within a few days after I started removing, reducing, and replacing, I started feeling more energetic. True, it’s possible that my positive feelings are related to taking control of my dietary health, so it’s just a matter of mind over matter. However, I truly feel that by making the changes Michael’s suggests, my hormone health improved.

I highly recommend this book. Buy it, borrow it, get it from the library. Just give it a try. It is the most sensible book about metabolic health I have read.

There's hummus among us...

I just love hummus.  It's creamy, slightly tangy, and oh so nourishing.  It's got a perfect mix of high quality fiber and powerful protein.  So cool and yummy served up with pita bread, cucumbers, bell peppers, and celery.  When you throw in the fact that hummus is pretty much a whole food that's super low in bad fat, you just can't ask for more!

Unfortunately, hummus is expensive when you buy it at your deli.  Luckily for my budget, it's so easy to make.  The stuff whips up in a jiffy!

Follow along with me as we make enough for several day's worth of lunches or snacks:

INGREDIENTS:

2 clove garlic

1 (10 oz) can garbanzo beans, drained (save the liquid)

4 Tbsp. lemon juice

2 Tbsp. tahini

1 tsp. salt

black pepper to taste

spices to taste (use what you like:  cumin, or basil, or chili powder, or smoky paprika for example)

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Just a few ingredients here.  See how easy??  You can do this!

(You can see here that I like mine with cumin.)

Put the garlic in a blender or food processor and chop.  Put the drained garbanzo beans into the processor, along with the lemon juice, tahini, chopped garlic, and salt.  Whir it up until it's quite mealy in texture. 

Add some of the reserved liquid through the chute and process some more.  The texture should end up like thick peanut butter.  Not too stiff, but not too loose.  Just make it the way that looks best to you!

When done, mound your hummus into a dish and drizzle with a good quality organic olive oil.  Pair your hummus with pita bread, olives, and fresh veggies of your choice. 

Thought I'd stop here and show you my old workhorse, the Cuisinart food processor.  I love Cuisinart.  After all, they practically invented the food processessor.  Mine is at least 15 years old and runs like there's no tomorrow.  We use it to chop bushels of hot peppers and tomatoes to make vats of picante sauce, take it to our church picnic to chop buckets and buckets of onions, and also use it for the little everyday stuff. 

I love the Cuisinart!  My kitchen wouldn't be complete without it.  Think I'll go stare at it for a while.  See you in a few...  I'll leave you to look at Cuisinart's current selections.  (Please don't drool on your keyboard!)

 I'm back now.  Here's a pic of the final product....

 

Mmmmmmm......  Healthy Heaven.....