Foldable Stainless Steel Straws for on the Go, Who Knew?!

 My previous post mentions how I became a huge water drinker, after avoiding it for years....I was a water snob. Now, I got to thinking, what else do I hate about drinking water, eating out at restaurants. 

I cannot stand drinking out of glasses (see previous post), AND I hate plastic straws for 2 reasons. First, they aer horrible for the environment. Second, I don't like the taste of water coming through a plastic straw. Drinking water out of a paper straw is even worse! We have stainless steel straws at home, and we love them. 

I had no idea that I could buy travel stainless steel straws. I can put it in my purse, desk etc... Now, I always have a straw to drink from. This is the set that I bought, and I LOVE them. They are super easy to clean, especially if you only drink water through them, and not soda or milk!

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

I'm a Water Snob.... Stainless Steel Bottles Changed my Life!

 I know that I need to drink more water. I always have an excuse as to why I don't drink more. It really comes down to laziness and the fact that I am a water snob.  I don't like to drink tap water... I only like filtered water.  I don't like to drink from most glasses, or plastic bottles because the water tastes like the dish soap used to clean them. I don't like to drink from aluminum cans/bottles, because the water has a metallic taste. I also only drink extremely cold water with ice. 

This past spring, I discovered stainless steel bottles. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that water could actually stay icy cold for at least 8 hours. Once I used my new bottle, It was not as difficult to forget to drink, it was always on my desk as a reminder. 

Here is my FAVORITE "go to" bottle for work. HYDRO FLASK I like the ones that are 32 ounces. 

I fill them up before school and that is enough water to get me until the end of the work day. I am hooked, you should try them too. I also have to hid them from my kids because they are hooked on them too.

Click the link to read more about DEHYDRATION SYMPTOMS according to the Cleveland Clinic. 

How much water should I drink? Check out this link "DAILY WATER INTAKE CALCULATOR".

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

OUR kids LOVED this SALMON?!!!!

Tonight I made the easiest meal ever! It is a recipe by Williams-Sonoma. It's called "Roasted Salmon with Thyme Vinaigrette". To be honest with you, I cannot stand fish in general, especially salmon. The only reason I truly made this, was because it is one of my husband's favorite foods. I was not sure how this was going to go with 2 kiddos under the age of 3. Especially for my boy, he is the pickiest eater ever!

When making the recipe be sure to triple the vinaigrette if you are making four salmon fillets, so that you can have a little remaining to put on a fresh green salad for this meal or another. 

I will tell you that EVERYONE in the family LOVED this recipe. My daughter LOVED the tangy salad dressing, which didn't surprise me since she loves pickles and lemons. My son was not keen on the salad but really enjoyed the salmon. He gobbled it up completely. I am glad that such a healthy meal was a 5 star meal! Even I, was able to enjoy this meal, that's saying a lot. I was not looking foward to trying it, because it is hard to have a "poker face" for your kids, when you are eating something that you dislike equally as much as them :)

A word of caution, when putting the vinaigrette on the salmon to marinate, make sure that you don't touch the salmon with the utensil and then re-dip the utensil in the vinaigrette. Otherwise, you could cross contaminate the vinaigrette with harmful bacteria. I always use a separate bowl as well as utensils. I love putting marinades on with silicone brushes, this set is my favorite. My kitchen has very neutral colors, but in my opinion, there is nothing more fun than using kitchen tools and gadgets with a pop of color. Here is a set of my favorite silicone brushes from Amazon. They have 2 sizes. As an Amazon associate, I earn a small amount of money for qualifying purchases. #recipe #salmon #Williams-Sonoma #healthy #foodie #meals #supper #dinner #kids #family 

*I originally published this in 2012, but when I updated it the date changed to 2024.

Part 2: Why We are Trying AGAIN!

 While writing this blog to help my husband's cholesterol,  I was struggling too.  Fatigue, stomach issues, adrenal issues, were symptoms that I was battling every day. In addition, I was busy with 2 kiddos under the age of 3. I have a lot of mom guilt for being so tired and lacking energy to meet all of my kids needs.In addition to all of that, I was working full time, and had this great idea to start a blog. 

I started a blog about healthy eating, but I did not have time to journal in baby books about about the kids big life events? Mom guilt!  As I sit and think about what I just wrote, it seems silly. Prioritizing the health of my husband, the kids' dad,  and feeling guilty about it, just sounds ridiculous when it is said out loud. Desiring to keep a family healthy seems much more important than what their favorite veggie was when they first started to eat. 

While I was struggling with some health issues, my husband's cholesterol issue was the biggest one that we wanted to tackle. Needless to say, the conscientious act of cooking together not only physically improved my husband's health, it also brought the family together mentally too. Cooking daily in the kitchen leads to good conversations, hard conversations, tears, giggles, and mad cooking skills. 

Once the blog stopped, so did the healthy eating. We did do cooking, not with the intention of keeping healthy, but more for the purpose of convenience. Did we give our kids healthy meals? Sure. Could we have done better? Of course! As the kids got older with sports, and we got more tired, we developed a bad habit of eating out more. Sometimes sit down restaurants, other times, it was fast food. While we were eating out more, we were spending more money, that too became an issue with me working part time and having 2 kids in full time daycare.

Fast forward to a few years later, when Covid-19 hit. All of the eating out, and fast food came to a screeching halt. We knew that we needed to change our game and start cooking again. 

Final part next time....

TTFN,

Vanessa

It's Been over a Decade Since this Blog was Made?

 Wow, is all that I can say. Looking back on these blogs, it seems like forever ago. Thinking about the fact that in 2011 my son was an infant and now he's 13, our daughter was 2 and now 15. There are so many things that I wish that I could go back and change. I would parent better, get on the floor and play more, holler less, read more bedtime stories, worry less about my job, go for more walks etc... However, I cannot go back and should not have regrets...Hahahaha, that's easy to say. 

My purpose for this blog was to get  my husband healthy. Writing this blog helped keep us accountable for the process. We knew that Kevin did not have longevity in his family, so when we found out that he had high cholesterol in his early 30s it scared us. We wanted to make sure that we could get him healthy so that we could spend decades and decades together as a family. In the process, we were able to lower his cholesterol, but not to a level that was acceptable. Eventually he had to go on medication to help. His cholesterol has been great ever since.

Now, we have a new purpose for eating healthier..... I'll let you know more tomorrow. 

TTFN,

~Vanessa

Why are Some Eggs more Expensive than Others, and is the Extra Cost Worth it?

Do you ever wonder why when you go to grocery store there are so many different types of eggs to choose from and so many different prices too? I will give you the quick run down on all four options.

1. The run of the mill general eggs that you buy at the grocery store are probably come from caged chickens. The live in horrible environments. Here is a photo from the website: http://ohsnapletseat.com/2013/04/01/different-types-of-eggs/ that shows the general idea of caged chickens.

Caged Chickens

 2. After hearing about the living conditions that cage chickens live in, I decided to start buying cage free eggs. Then, I watched the video "Food.Inc" and I saw that cage free chickens are not much better. They do not live in cages but instead they still live in horrible conditions that do not allow them the opportunity to roam freely and they don't see daylight. They also get pumped with antibiotics...Hmmm I wonder why?! Here is a photo of "caged free" chickens from the same website as the previous photo.

Cage-Free Chickens

3. Now, what do I buy? I don't want to buy "regular" caged-chicken eggs. I don't want to buy cage-free eggs? Now what? Well, there are two more types to choose from. Free-Range and Organic. According to http://ohsnapletseat.com/2013/04/01/different-types-of-eggs/ Free-Range chickens are supposed to be able to roam freely for a portion of their time but it does not mean that they don't live in cramped quarters part of the time.  Now how much time do they get outside? Who knows but those are still better options than the previous two.

Free-Range Chickens http://ohsnapletseat.com/2013/04/01/different-types-of-eggs/

4. The final type of egg choice is organic. Organic basically means that the chickens cannot be pumped with antibiotics (unless they were sick), they must live in cage-free and free-range environments. They also probably don't need as many antibiotics because the are able to move around and are not standing in feces etc...These are going to be the most expensive eggs to buy. However, if you think about how many toxins we already have in our environment, and consider how often eggs are required in recipes, for your sake and the chickens' sake isn't it worth the extra dollar or two to know that you are not putting more hormones or antibiotics into your body?

Yummy Crock-Pot Enchilada Soup

So, here is a soup that I created by combining a few recipes. The cream-cheese is optional if you are wanting to go completely Paleo. Actually, that is not true. The Frontera has cream in it. I chose this enchilada sauce versus the others because the others had corn syrup in them. I would rather have all natural ingredients, including cream, versus corn syrup. I have been off dairy for about a month but when I saw the block of cream cheese in my fridge I just knew that I better use it up or it was going to go bad. Here is my soup creation. It is basically chicken, veggies, spices and optional cheese.

GMOs: What are they?

Here is a very interesting article about GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms). The article talks about what GMOs are and the article also explains how pesticides that farmers are using are affecting our health, in particular our gut. It is a very interesting article. GMOs Article: What are They and How are They Affecting our Bodies?

Burpless Fish-Oil Trick

Part of my new diet is to take fish-oil. I am not a fan of it by any means because in the past I have always burped it up (how disgusting). My doctor told me that if you freeze your gel capsules and then take them you don't burp them up. It COMPLETELY works! I assume that by the time they thaw out they have passed the stomach and are too far in the digestive system to burp up. You gotta try it. Let me know your results!

Feeling Different

Today I am not talking about what I ate, it was nothing amazing. Instead, I would rather share with you how I have been feeling. First, I have noticed so far with my diet change is that I am less tired. I have not had the mid -afternoon crash that I normally feel. Usually by 2:00 in the afternoon I have all I can do to keep awake. I then usually drink a soda or have some sort of "boost" to get me through until dinner time. I was told that I can still have coffee but to limit my intake to one cup a day. I have never been a more than one cup of coffee gal. I have been drinking a cup of coffee in the morning but I don't really seem to need it. So, getting through the day without feeling like I need a nap is an amazing and exciting change.

The second change, is weird to me and again it is about how I feel. This evening I told my husband that he was going to think that I am crazy but I have been having this uncontrollable feeling as if I have forgotten something. Do you know the feeling that you get when you forget to put on your wedding band or another piece of jewelry like a watch? You feel "weird" until you put the item on again. I have been feeling that way but to me the feeling is in my arms. It is similar to the feeling you get when you carry something heavy and then you put it down. Your arms feel lighter and free. So, mentally I have the sensation that I have forgotten  something. Physically my arms feel lighter as if I have put down something heavy that I have been hauling around forever. I wonder if anyone else has had weird physical sensations when going on a dietary cleanse. I would love to know! Share your comments and thoughts if you like!

Gluten-Free, Corn-Free, Soy-Free and Dairy-Free

Ok, As some of you may know, I have struggled with many stomach problems. I have a lot of heart burn, I am constantly starving, and I have severe stomach pains often after I eat. I have battled with these stomach issues since I was in college. Now, about 17 years later I am still struggling and the symptoms are getting worse. After doing a lot of reading online and talking with friends, I decided to try and go gluten-free.

Going gluten free had been working for me. A lot of my symptoms improved greatly. However, they are starting to come back now.

A few months ago I went to a gastroenterology doctor and he told me that nothing is wrong with me with my stomach. He chalked it up as IBS (Irritable Bowl Syndrome).  He told me to continue going gluten free since it did help my "symptoms" and that not much else could be done for me.

I went to my OBGYN doctor a couple of weeks ago and she referred me to a doctor that specializes in allergies. I spoke with him and he explained that all of my symptoms are symptoms that are common with food sensitivities. He told me that the problem with "western" medicine is that if you cannot prove a problem with a test then the patient doesn't have a problem. He said that he cannot test me for food sensitivity. Allergy testing with food generally is used when someone is trying to figure out a life threatening allergy, otherwise the results won't show up. So, he decided that I continue to go gluten free. In addition to that, I should, for the next 30 days, go soy free, dairy free and corn free. After 30 days, I am suppose to go back to him and slowly start to put back the foods that were eliminated to see what makes me feel sick, fine etc...

Here is my outlined menu:

Breakfast A vegan protein powder (made with brown rice and pea protein), fresh or frozen berries, honey and coconut or almond milk. Mix it all together and make a smoothie. He said to add avocado to make it smooth.

A.M. snack and afternoon snack: a piece of fresh fruit (avoid bananas because they are high in sugar) and a handful of raw nuts, preferably walnuts.

Lunch: meat, eggs, or another smoothly along with two cups of frozen or fresh veggies cooked (just not canned).

Dinner is the same as lunch with the addition of a grain such as rice or Quinoa (see a previous post on Quinoa).

Things that I cannot have for one month:
dairy
alcohol
chocolate
corn
soy
juices
gluten

Let's see how I do!

Day 2 of my 30 day dairy-free, gluten-free, corn-free and soy-free meal plan

Today was a good day. For breakfast I had a protein shake with vegan (pea and rice) protein powder, almond milk, strawberries and a splash of honey.

For lunch I had a bean burrito by Amy's. Amazingly enough it was corn, soy and dairy free. I was in a hurry and did not plan ahead. Ugh.

Tonight for dinner I did not have as much protein nor vegetables as I would have liked but I am taking a night class and the only "all natural" healthy food I could find was veggie sushi. I chose this because I knew that my dinner meal should be some grain, lots of veggies and some protein. The protein was missing but I figured that this was going to be my healthiest option considering normally when I am in a hurry I stop for fast food. 

You would surprised at how difficult it is to find anything that is made without corn syrup or soy. The sad part is that the healthier our foods are in this country then the more expensive they cost. 

On my way home I stopped at Target and bought some chocolate almond milk and vanilla coconut milk for the shakes in the morning. I am not a fan of the vegan powder. I am not sure if it the taste or the texture that I dislike the most. I do however like the fact that the protein powder does not taste like artificial sweetener at all, whether it be Stevia or some other non-sugar product.

Ok, I got side tracked, while I was at Target I noticed that I could get the Sunshine fruit bars as a frozen treat and I also found "ice-cream" made from coconut milk that was dairy-free and soy-free. 

I cannot even imagine trying to find non-dairy ice cream even five years ago at Target. I think that the more healthy our society tries to become, the more retailers will begin to listen to our requests. I was happy with my coconut ice cream find. It for sure was nothing like the real deal but it did quench my thirst for a frozen creamy dessert. It was not amazing but it was good. I just needed a couple of bites and my appetite was satisfied.

I think the goal to being successful with this diet switch will be to plan ahead. It is not a diet that I can just open up the fridge and think about what I want to eat. No dairy is hard. No string cheese, no creamer in my coffee, no yogurt on the go. 

My ultimate desire is to finally figure out what is causing so many stomach issues and possibly lose a pound or two as well.

TTFN.

Fage Yogurt Another Great Discovery!

I am not a big fan of yogurt. However, I have always wanted to really like it, so when I had the opportunity to try the yogurt for free through the amazing company BzzAgent, I thought that I would be adventurous and try it, what did I have to lose? 

When I went to buy the 17.5 ounce package I was disappointed in the fact that there were no flavors to choose from other than plain. When I got home I tried the yogurt and to my surprise, Fage is seriously the creamiest and tastiest yogurt that I have ever had. It has a texture like sour cream and has a slight cream cheese taste. I chopped up a banana and put it in the yogurt with a sprinkle of sugar...Delicious.

My friend told me that she always uses Fage plain yogurt to make dips, she uses it as a mayonnaise substitute. What a great idea. I am sure there other great ways to use the yogurt. If you have an idea, please share with me and my blogg readers. I truly recommend this yogurt. I am now a Fage believer!

BzzAgent Link to get free products just for sharing your opinions! BzzAgent: Get Products for Free and Share Your Opinions

Qinoa Grain...pronounced "KEEN WAH"

Yesterday we tried Qinoa grain instead of white rice. I am not a brown rice fan so when I saw the Qinoa grain I was not too excited. I was pleasantly surprised at how good and soft the grain is. It is Gluten-free and does NOT have the texture of brown rice. To me it is very similar to couscous and is amazingly tasty. We had it with grilled salmon. We put some salt, olive oil and lemon on the qinoa and it was great. I would highly recommend this grain if you are trying to find a complex carbohydrates that contains protein!

Here are Some Qinoa Facts:

One of the latest superfoods to be touted by celebrity trainers and the like is quinoa.

What makes "keen-wah" so nutritious? We’ve got the scoop on quinoa nutrition facts.

Most people who have heard of quinoa think it’s a grain, and judging by how it’s pronounced, some assume it’s from the Orient.

But technically, quinoa is a seed, not a grain and it’s grown high in the Andes Mountains of South America.

Quinoa plants have been cultivated at altitudes of well over 10,000 feet and have been considered a superfood for at least a few millennia — in fact, the Incas cherished it as a superfood of their own.

Here in the U.S., quinoa has been discovered as a nutritious asset and enjoyed culinary popularity within only the last few years. Here’s why…

Eat one cup of quinoa (a single serving size), and you’ll consume:

• 220 calories (70 percent carbs, 15 percent fat, 15 percent protein)
• 40 grams of carbohydrates (13 percent daily value)
• 8 grams of protein (16 percent of daily value)
• 3.5 grams of fat (5 percent daily value with no saturated fat)
• A glycemic load (blood sugar spike) of only 18 out of 250
• 5 grams of fiber (20 percent of daily value)
• 20 percent of daily value of folate (various forms of Vitamin B)
• 30 percent of magnesium daily value (beneficial for people with migraine headaches); 28 percent daily value of phosphorous; iron (15 percent); copper (18 percent); and manganese (almost 60 percent) from the site: One of the latest superfoods to be touted by celebrity trainers and the like is quinoa. from the site: http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/stories/quinoa-nutrition-facts
  

Forks Over Knives...

Whether or not you believe documentaries, I think everyone should see the documentary "Forks Over Knives Documentary". (I have linked the product to make it easier for you to find). As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

The documentary why dairy and meats are not good for human consumption. I personally consume both but I still was able to take away basic health information that makes me think more when going grocery shopping. Here is a favorite vegan recipe off of their website that I LOVE and the kids LOVE too!

6 ~ Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins*

Serves 6-12

• 1 medium banana, mashed 
• 1 (15-oz.) can sweet pumpkin puree 
• 1/4 cup 100% pure maple syrup 
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract 
• 2 cups whole oat flour 
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda 
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder 
• 1/2 tsp. salt 
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg 
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger 
• 1 cup grain-sweetened dairy-free chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, combine mashed banana, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.

2. In a small bowl, combine oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Transfer mixture to large bowl and mix together gently until well combined. Avoid over-mixing to prevent toughness in the final product. Fold in chocolate chips.

3. Spoon batter into silicon muffin cups and bake for 20 minutes or until the muffins are lightly browned. Remove muffins from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Store muffins in an airtight container.

*Recipe derived from Julieanna Hever’s Blueberry Oat Breakfast Muffins in Forks Over Knives: The Plant-Based Way to Health, edited by Gene Stone

Chicken with lemon-chipotle salad dressing and a few modifications! Substitute Cilantro for Basil

Chicken with lemon chipotle salad dressing  was...another winner by Williams-Sonoma...This was a great recipe that we tried tonight. I always enjoy putting a spin on recipes. I made a couple of minor adjustments. Feel free to try them, or just follow the #recipe. 

Modification 1: Instead of a rotisserie chicken I chose to grill chicken breasts sprinkled with Mrs. Dash's no salt southwest chipotle seasoning. (I have linked the product to make it easier for you to find). As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

"Modification" 2: Also, the entire theme or at least the ingredients were more "southwestern" but a strong flavor in the dressing was basil. I did not think about it until I was eating the salad but I really think with this theme, cilantro would have made this dish spectacular instead of Basil. Basil seems to be more of an Italian #seasoning in my opinion. 

Modification 3: I also added two more ripe avocados because they are our #favorite.  Overall, the kids loved the #chicken and the #avocados and we would definitely make this dish again! 

Thank you, #Williams-Sonoma!

Leave a comment to let me know your thoughts about the recipe.

A Healthier Version of a "Traditional" Comfort Food....Tator Tot Hot Dish

As you know, we have been trying to eat very healthy over the past year or so because our goal is to get, and to keep Kevin's cholesterol down at "normal" levels. The other day I was really craving a "comfort food" so I decided to investigate the ingredients for Tator Tot Hot Dish to see how I could make it healthier. Here is what I did....

I took very lean ground beef (93% or higher), skim milk, "Healthy Request" cream of mushroom soup (low in fat and cholesterol), tator tots (which don't have fat or cholesterol), low-fat cheddar cheese, and a packet of Lipton Onion Soup mix "Beefy Onion."

Now I know that this is, as a rule, not the healthiest casserole, but I took something a bit unhealthy and made is just a little bit better for us. I think that is the key. Trying to incorporate healthy habits into every meal eventually just becomes a part of you. It at one point seems "sinful" to not try and eat healthier!

Here is the recipe...

Crockpot Lasagna

Sorry that I have not written for so long, but I have been pretty busy. Just recently I was looking at the Healthy Eating section of books at the library and I found one about the thoughts behind belly fat. After reading the book a bit I was not completely "sold" on the author's theory that sugar is one of the main culprits of belly fat. However, the author brought to my attention that there are tons of foods with "hidden" sugars.

Before reading the book I never had taken the time to see how much sugar was actually in every day foods like spaghetti sauces etc... I always thought that sugar was for desserts! What I learned is that there really are "hidden" sugars in just about everything. The spaghetti sauce that I used to buy...blew my mind when I realized that there are actually 21 grams of sugar per 1/2 cup (serving). WOW!!!!

Breads, even the ones that are considered "healthy" because they have whole grains have corn syrup in them. I started to see why the author of the belly fat book thinks that sugar is a main cause for being overweight. So, my mission now is to try and either make my own or buy products with the littles amount of sugar possible.

I recently found this crockpot recipe online for lasagna. I made it a bit healthier by using ground turkey instead of sausage, fat free cottage cheese instead of ricotta (because I don't like the texture of ricotta cheese), and low fat mozzarella cheese. And of course I found tomato sauce that only had 5 grams of sugar per serving...however, I still think that is too much for spaghetti sauce! Another way to make this dish even more healthy would be to use multi-grain or whole wheat noodles.

The Next Step...

Now that Kevin has lowered his cholesterol, I've noticed that people keep complimenting him and asking him if he's lost any weight. We've explained to people that we've changed our eating habits and have improved his cholesterol health. I guess that I assumed that he did not lose any weight because I did not lose any weight on this new healthy eating lifestyle. However, I found out yesterday that he has lost almost 10 pounds.

After talking with some friends, I think that I have possibly discovered why I might not have lost any weight. I think I eat too many carbs and not enough protein, especially in the mornings. My new goal with this healthy lifestyle change is to try and lose a half to a full pound a week but lowering my carbs, increasing my protein, and lowering my overall caloric intake.

I found a really cool calculator that estimates how many calories you should eat if you want to lose, maintain, or gain weight. It also breaks down the calories per category. It will say that if you are supposed to eat 1500 calories, for example, you should eat so many grams of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. The link is: weight calculator,. Try out the calculator and let me know what you think!

Betty Crocker Blueberry Muffins....Can be even healthier?

I really like making everything from scratch, especially when it comes to dinners. However, I am not always a "from scratch" kind of gal when it comes to baked goods. 


My daughter is two and loves helping with everything. I occasionally buy Better Crocker's Wild Blueberry muffins and we bake them together. She pours in the blueberries, stirs, etc... 


The other day I was reading the Betty Crocker recipe box and learned that on the side of the box there are directions for making low-fat, no cholesterol muffins. Add skim milk instead of regular, add apple sauce instead of oil, add egg substitute instead of regular eggs. One muffin is 140 calories (15 calories come from fat).