The complete list of the TOP 10 NEW SUPERFOODS for 2012!!

As you noticed the "top 10 superfoods" post last week only made it to 5 since I couldn't get it all done in time and wanted to give you a few to get started on anyway.  So here is the completed illustrious list!


MAKE SURE TO READ TO THE BOTTOM TO GET YOUR FREE $10 coupon at vitacost.com!!

• Jicima - Also called Mexican Potato is a great food to add into your diet for several reasons.  It is loaded with Vitamin C, minerals, fiber, calcium, iron and potassium.  It is excellent for helping to maintain lower cholesterol levels and actually decreasing the bad cholesterol while increasing good cholesterol.  It has virtually no fat, and is so low in calories it is perfect for filling you up with essential nutrients while helping you loose weight.  You should choose smaller ones as they are sweeter and look for those that have have smooth skin. Peel and slice then top with lime juice and a dusting of chili pepper or add to salads or stir fry as a substitute for water chestnuts.  Fun veggie to play with as they are slightly sweet but very very mild in flavor and will take on the flavor of whatever you add to it.

• Bee Pollen - Is an amazing supplement that I like to add to smoothies or take encapsulated. It is well know for it's energy producing effect and full range of nutrients.  It is one of only a few foods that you could survive on with out any other foods.  It has the perfect balance of fat, protein and carbs, as well as vitamins and minerals.  It is self digesting and helps digestion in general enabling you to lose weight as you are able to better digest fast quickly.  It also helps diabetic symptoms and tests have shown less sugar in the urine after sustained use.  It offers a whole host of other immune boosting properties as well.  Great stuff and pretty inexpensive too!

Photo courtesy of Leons beauty tips and secrets

• Black Garlic - This is just garlic that has been fermented at high temperatures.  It has a sweet caramelized taste very mellow and no overwhelming garlic smell.  The best part?  It is supposed to be DELICIOUS and is all the rage for foodies right now and has double the antioxidants of regular garlic and we all know how healthy garlic is. The bummer is that it is pricey but you can make it yourself.  You need a food dehydrator or rice cooker set to warm that you can leave set up for 40 days.  Yes I said 40 days!!!! Not sure how your electric bill would take this, but here are the instructions in case you just have to try it.  Get a glass jar and pack it full of as many raw garlic cloves as you would like and seal it up.  Then wrap it tightly in foil so nothing leaks out.  Now place in the rice cooker or something that keeps a constant temperature of 130-150 Fahrenheit and wait the oh so long 40 days.  You can eat it after 10 but it won't be the same.  It is said to be like roasted garlic but odorless, and even more mellow.  Let me know how it goes if you try this.  I do not want to give up any of my appliances for 40 days, or pay the electric bill.

photo from blackgarlic.com

• Barley- An under-appreciated grain Barley is a nutty flavored grain that has a chewy pasta like consistency. It is great in soup and as a breakfast porridge.  You can also get barley flour.  I used in my latest mix of whole grain pancake mix I just made up.  The pancakes were delicious.  I will have to post that recipe later! It is a very good source of fiber, niacin and selenium, as well as being a good source of phosphorus, copper and manganese. When it comes to heart disease and type 2 diabetes this is an important addition to your diet.  Studies showed that it reduces your risk of diabetes and for those with type 2 diabetes it reduced both insulin and glucose response because of the barley's soluble fiber.  It was far more effective than oats.  It is also a great help with regularity, lowering cholesterol, and intestinal protection.  Google it as there is so much interesting information on why it is so beneficial to your health.  

• Sea vegetables-  As in nori, kelp, dulse,  algae, chlorella and spirulina just to name a few.  These are something to consider adding to your diet due to their large mineral and amino acid content, ability to absorb toxins better than any other natural food, aid weight loss, cellulite control, detoxification, beautiful hair and skin, and more. They can be added as a seasoning to foods, dried and eaten like a crisp, or made into a salad.  If you google sea vegetable recipes tons of recipes show up.  So be a little adventurous and try a few different types till you find one you like.

Photo from health food fanatic

• Broccoli Sprouts - We already kew that broccoli was a potent nutritional powerhouse but now we find out we can get the nutritional benefit of 3 Lbs. of broccoli in only one ounce of broccoli sprouts! These are great on salads, in sandwiches and wraps and anywhere else you add greens.   



Photo from nutridesk.com          

• Quinoa - pronounced Keen-wa.  This grain is quickly gaining popularity as it is easy to use and cooks up quickly.  You would use it like you would rice, and it tastes deliciously nutty.  For a  breakfast food mix it (once cooked) with an equal portion of  oatmeal for a yummy protein rich breakfast porridge.  This grain packs 8 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber in just one cup.  Not to mention all the vitamins and minerals it contains.  Not many other grains can make that claim.  This is an easy nutritious addition to your health conscious pantry. In fact I just ate it for the last two dinners in quinoa chili, and as a side dish with corn and onion tonight.  YUMMY!

Photo from rv goddess

• Nutritional Yeast - (aka Brewers Yeast)- is a tasty supplement that is loaded with protein, minerals, vitamins and dietary fiber.  It is the one of the only reliable vegan food sources of  Vitamin B-12 ( a feel good vitamin essential to your body). It is so full of  B Vitamins in fact just one Tablespoon a day gives you 100% of your recommended daily allowance and a whopping 9 grams of protein! It is also a great flavor enhancer for foods with it's nutty cheesy flavor.  It is great on popcorn, in stir fries and pasta dishes in a way that aged cheese would be.

Photo from bend bulletin

• Kefir - is a sour yogurt like drink that is a healthy concoction of  beneficial bacteria and yeasts in protein, lipids and sugars that is made from fermenting kefir grains in milk.  It work to improve your immune system in a number of ways.  It is FULL of probiotics, antioxidants and is 5 times healthier than regular yogurt because of the incredibly large number (some are in the billions!!) of friendly bacteria as opposed to plain yogurt.  It is credited with a huge boost in digestive health and immunity. I will have to do a longer post on this as it is so fascinating.  In the meantime if you are not fully convinced you should do some research online to see how adding this to your diet can profoundly affect your health.

• Chia Seeds - Yes I am talking about the very same seeds used in the old school Chia pets!  I have a much better use for them though, as these are my new favorite super food.  They are known as the running food a very high energy endurance food, because the soluble fiber creates a gel that  slows the conversion of carbs into sugars giving you increased endurance and helping diabetics. They are growing in popularity, especially with endurance athletes, because of their well documented use by the Aztec warriors and the Indians of the Southwest and Mexico that are well known for their amazing running ability.  These Indians would take only a spoonful to fuel their 24 hour runs!  It is also great for endurance athletes because of it's ability to absorb up to 12 times it's weight in water to prolong hydration in an unheard of way and balance electrolytes!  I could write a huge post on this but I will try to limit it for now.  This food is not only for athletes as these seeds are chock full of omega 3's, calcium, protein and fiber.  In fact one tablespoon of the seeds eaten has all the fiber of one cup of oatmeal, more antioxidants than blueberries, more omega 3's than salmon, more fiber than bran flakes, more calcium than 2% milk, and more protein fiber and calcium than flax seed! You can add them to smoothies, oatmeal, cookies, any in anything else you would add nuts or seeds to.  You can also just eat them raw for a quick pick me up or to help satisfy you and avoid cravings.  I LOVE THEM!!!! I will stop myself now as I could go on forever about these.

Photo from nuts.com

This is by no means an exhaustive list and is just meant to give you an overview of a few great superfoods to add to your diet.  

After searching ALL over on line for the best prices I just bought more bee pollen, chia seeds, nutritional yeast, barley flour, and a host of other healthy foods at Vitacost.  If you use this link you get $10 FREE (totally free online code for $10 free!!) at Vitacost.  That covers a lb of chia seeds and most of the barley flour! If you order $49 worth (who doesn't spend that at the health food store) you get free shipping!  I got coconut milk, protein powder that included hemp and chia seeds, sunflower seeds, millet, coconut, and a bunch of other good stuff so check it out!  

Hope you found a few new things to add to your healthy pantry today.

Want To Buy: MFW my father's World curriculum

I have been working on my follow up post on the rest of the "10 new superfoods for 2012" but as a busy homeschool mama of 4 little ones I am tired and want to finish that when I can really do a good job so in the meantime I am looking for some curriculums from My Father's World.  I thought I would post a request here in case any of you Jesus and mission loving homeschool mamas have any of the My Father's World Curriculums you are no longer using and want to sell.  I have 4 kids on a tiny budget so I am looking for a good deal on some used materials if you have them.

Most interested in 
MFW 1st grade.
and 
"Adventures in My Father's World"
However please let me know if you have any of them for sale.  Thanks!  I figure with all you homeschool mamas that read my blog somebody might have some for sale.
Rod and Staff Spelling by sound and structure year 2 would be good too, as well as primary language lessons if anyone has that.


I also have some Abeka homeschool things for sale or swap.  All with no markings.  Mostly year 6 books with LOTS of teachers manuals. Some other grade level books as well to sell by Abeka and I have some 8th grade materials for Abeka as well.  Various odds and ends for sale or swap  in case you want to inquire about something particular.
If you homeschool and love a fun, Biblical, missions minded curriculum you will love this one.  Check it out at
http://www.mfwbooks.com/

I am tired and beat so I am headed to bed but hope you all have a great look around their site.  If any of you have used their curriculum I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas.  I have a soon to be 5 year old who will be using the 1st grade curriculum next year and a second grader (7) now that will be in 3rd when we start Exploring Cultures and Countries.  I also have a 1 and 2 year old who both have birthdays in April.  I am curious about how to get them all on the same cycle or at least trying to get only 2 curriculums going at once as opposed to 4 in the coming years.  Any advice with experience in My Father's World as far as the cycles go?

The first 5 of 10 NEW superfoods for 2012 & FREE $10 coupon to buy them with! (the first half)!

I have now updated this list to include all 10 at my more recent post HERE 


Now that January is well underway and everyone is talking and resolving to get healthier you have probably heard of a zillion diets by now.  Lets take a break from that and quit talking about what we shouldn't eat and talk about what we should eat!  Who wants to sit around hungry trying to be more healthy?  I do not! Let's talk superfoods!  No not supersize foods from your favorite fast food joint we are talking superfoods.  "Superfoods" is just a term used to describe SUPER nutritious whole foods (unprocessed) foods that have multiple health benefits and go above and beyond other foods in their medicinal and nutritional value.

 Last years superfoods list included such healthy favorites as

• Broccoli, 
• garlic, 
• spinach, 
• green tea, 
• beans, 
• walnuts, 
• blueberries, 
• soy, 
• oats
• tomatoes 

These foods have incredible healing powers on the body and are responsible for helping to prevent and in some cases reverse the signs of aging and related illness, as well as proving to be potent immune boosters.  They contain extremely high amounts of antioxidants that prevent free radicals from damaging the body leading to signs of aging and illness.  One of my favorite things about superfoods is that for those looking to loose weight they offer a solution as to what to eat as opposed to just what not to eat and are very effective in helping to maintain a healthy weight!

Now that you are getting the hang of adding those foods into your diet on a regular basis let me introduce
10 new superfoods to you that you may not be as familiar with. Ok only 5 today as you will get the other 5 in the next half next week.

• Broccoli Sprouts - We already knew that broccoli was a potent nutritional powerhouse but now we find out we can get the nutritional benefit of 3 Lbs. of broccoli in only one ounce of broccoli sprouts! These are great on salads, in sandwiches and wraps and anywhere else you add greens.   



Photo from nutridesk.com          

• Quinoa - pronounced Keen-wa.  This grain is quickly gaining popularity as it is easy to use and cooks up quickly.  You would use it like you would rice, and it tastes deliciously nutty.  This grain packs 8 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber in just one cup.  Not to mention all the vitamins and minerals it contains.  Not many other grains can make that claim.  This is an easy nutritious addition to your health conscious pantry.

Photo from rv goddess

• Nutritional Yeast - (aka Brewers Yeast)- is a tasty supplement that is loaded with protein, minerals, vitamins and dietary fiber.  It is the one of the only reliable vegan food sources of  Vitamin B-12 ( a feel good vitamin essential to your body). It is so full of  B Vitamins in fact just one Tablespoon a day gives you 100% of your recommended daily allowance and a whopping 9 grams of protein! It is also a great flavor enhancer for foods with it's nutty cheesy flavor.  It is great on popcorn, in stir fries and pasta dishes in a way that aged cheese would be.

Photo from bend bulletin

• Kefir - is a sour yogurt like drink that is a healthy concoction of  beneficial bacteria and yeasts in protein, lipids and sugars that is made from fermenting kefir grains in milk.  It work to improve your immune system in a number of ways.  It is FULL of probiotics, antioxidants and is 5 times healthier than regular yogurt because of the incredibly large number (some are in the billions!!) of friendly bacteria as opposed to plain yogurt.  It is credited with a huge boost in digestive health and immunity. I will have to do a longer post on this as it is so fascinating.  In the meantime if you are not fully convinced you should do some research online to see how adding this to your diet can profoundly affect your health.

• Chia Seeds - Yes I am talking about the very same seeds used in the old school Chia pets!  I have a much better use for them though, as these are my new favorite super food.  They are known as the running food a very high energy endurance food, because the soluble fiber creates a gel that  slows the conversion of carbs into sugars giving you increased endurance and helping diabetics. They are growing in popularity, especially with endurance athletes, because of their well documented use by the Aztec warriors and the Indians of the Southwest and Mexico that are well known for their amazing running ability.  These Indians would take only a spoonful to fuel their 24 hour runs!  It is also great for endurance athletes because of it's ability to absorb up to 12 times it's weight in water to prolong hydration in an unheard of way and balance electrolytes!  I could write a huge post on this but I will try to limit it for now.  This food is not only for athletes as these seeds are chock full of omega 3's, calcium, protein and fiber.  In fact one tablespoon of the seeds eaten has all the fiber of one cup of oatmeal, more antioxidants than blueberries, more omega 3's than salmon, more fiber than bran flakes, more calcium than 2% milk, and more protein fiber and calcium than flax seed! You can add them to smoothies, oatmeal, cookies, any in anything else you would add nuts or seeds to.  You can also just eat them raw for a quick pick me up or to help satisfy you and avoid cravings.  I LOVE THEM!!!! I will stop myself now as I could go on forever about these.

Photo from nuts.com

Hope that was enough to get you started on adding some new superfoods to your diet.  The next 5 will come next week.  

In the meantime start shopping on vitacost to pick up some of these!  I buy on vitacost just because I can find what I need (hard to do in my small town) and because it is such a good deal and I get free shipping after $49! Here is a link to get you started with a FREE $10 coupon at Vitacost! That will pay for you chia seeds and more!

DIY BEAUTIFUL silverware jewelery on a dime...literally!!

Now are these not the COOLEST thing you have ever seen?  You have to go check out Kirsten Erickson's blog to see the full directions (very necessary to save you some frustration) , but it looks amazing.  I hope to try this soon!  I just need some real silver-ware.  The creator of these beautiful rings said she paid .10 each for her silverware ( I promised you could do this on a dime!), and she warns it does not work with stainless steel .  Real silver silverware has a "900" or a "925" on the back and you can use plated silver as well.  Read down through her comment section too if you still have questions as she answers a lot of common questions down there. Yeah on my way to the thrift store tomorrow! 

How about some awesome bracelets to go with your new beautiful ring...

If you can master the ring the bracelet should be doable.  Then again the non crafty yet stylish girls can just go buy these ones below on etsy and support a crafter.

both of these available  from etsy shop Marchello Art

I love this unique an creative bracelet I found on pinterest as well.

This is available on green products and gifts if you choose not to try and make it.

How about a beautiful pendant?  This one looks fun to try!

from here in the waiting place

What are you waiting for?  Go find some silver silverware and give it a try!  If it works out for you send me some! Ok, just kidding, but I have a small wrist and small finger if you needed to know that for any reason ;) ;)

Wellness Wednesday Guess what this is...

So we all know we aren't supposed to eat junk food or fast food, but here is a little inspiration for that goal.
I have never been a fast food person but if you still have cravings for it this should help you out!  Believe me it is worse than it looks.

When you hear how they leave the eyeballs, tendons, tissue etc all attached and throw it into a machine that mashes it all up and then pushes it through a sieve till you get this gummy pink mess you will probably not be so tempted in the future!  Because it is so full of bacteria they wash it in (yes I said wash!) tons of ammonia then add artificial color to make it look normal and a bunch of artificial flavor because it tastes so bad due to the contents and the ammonia! Now you do NOT want to eat that.  Even if any company assures you that they no longer use mechanically separated chicken keep in mind they thought it was perfectly fine to serve till they started loosing business from it.  They are NOT interested in offering high quality nutritive food so you should not be interested in feeding their interests with your check book.

Unfortunately mechanically separated chicken is not only in obvious food and I just realized that it is the main ingredient in the chicken stock/bouillon I used to buy! YIKES!! I am convinced it is worth the money to buy a higher quality bouillon or broth.  Glad to be reminded.

Lest you burger eaters are feeling happy with your meat choice let me just show you a picture of what your burger came from.

To make this nice mush they cram animal parts (again any random left over bit makes it in here) into a machine, send it out through a sieve and cover it in ammonia to kill of all the nasty bacteria.  That is what makes up your bologna, hot dogs, tv dinners, and any other unidentified meats!  YUCK! If you are going to eat meat at least eat a real piece of meat that was from one animal (not pieces of many animals) and was cut from it RECENTLY and is identifiable.

Now go eat some delicious veggies to wash this nasty business from your taste buds, but keep it in mind next time your kids ask you for fast food!

Working on it...

Since Saturday I have been working on a great post of some NEW superfoods for you to try in the coming year.  I know most of you are familiar with the common ones you have heard so much about, but this is a new list of some EXTREMELY healthy (and YUMMY) foods you most likely have not heard too much about.  However I had internet problems this weekend while posting and have lost the post 4 times!! So needless to say  it has been very time consuming, but it is coming along and it should be worth the wait! I have half of it done now but being as it is almost midnight and I am exhausted I will have to finish it another time (soon).  A day of homeschool and 5 young kids ( I babysit for a friend) awaits me early tomorrow!

Photo courtesy of men womens health article

Here is a teaser to keep you busy in the meantime...
See if you can unscramble the names of these 10 new superfoods that I will explain in great detail in  my later post.  Better yet give them to your homeschooler to figure out. :)

1. rekfi
2. labrey
3. aich deses
4. locolbir rpstsuo
5. majici
6. Klacb racgli
7. ase sveabesgetl 
8. aoqiun
9. ebe enlopl
10. turitnlanio ayets  

Let me know your best guess!

Fresh beet juice & coconut milk? In an ice cream recipe?

I love food!  Ethnic food, comfort food, vegetarian food, and pretty much any GOOD food.  Over the years studying natural health on the way to my Masters I have tried (much the dismay of my carnivore, junk food loving husband) the majority of the current diet trends, and whatever nutritional program I was learning about at the moment  I spent 7 years as a strict vegetarian and still eat a mainly vegetarian diet. Tried a glutton free, sugar free diet (hard!), swore off all non "clean eating" foods after watching "Food Inc." (a must watch!)...for a while anyway. Before that I had tried the Atkins diet in the 90's (and promptly GAINED 10 lbs on it!).  Years later I did the "South Beach" diet (short lived but better than Atkins), and followed the "AB'S diet" after the birth of my 2nd baby.  At some point in there I also got into juicing, and lived in Italy and ate whatever whenever (think nutella, pasta, etc... not a pretty sight).  Now years later in my 30's, 4 sweet babies later, Masters degree finally earned I have discovered something...I am not willing to settle for cardboard tasting, boring food.

I want it all!  Delicious and healthy.  I have also discovered I do not do "plans" or "diets" well. So as the New Year begins and I focus on my health and eating anew I have been on a quest for truly healthy (not just low-cal) DELICIOUS foods. Here are a few recipes I think fit the bill, but don't let me decide for you. I expect to hear  how much you love the yum factor coupled with the nutrition aspect!

Beet juice coconut ice cream from the kitchn
How delicious does that look?  Amazing food blogger Sarah Kate did the impossible and combined cleanse worthy fresh fruit and veggie juices with a few clever hard working ingredients to create a truly unique rich and creamy dessert that even the strictest diet can't outlaw! Thank you Sarah Kate!  Throw a few raspberries in there, and some stevia to sweeten it up if needed and you can rival the real thing...with out all the calories, dairy, and artificial ingredients that is!

What more could you ask for? Unless you are looking for an equally satisfying delicious main dish to go with it...and here it is. 
Italian Falafel or as the inventor calls them "(Not) meatballs"

One of  my all time favorite food blogs Budget Bytes (up there with my other favorite Enlightened Cooking) has come up with a truly inspired chickpea creation called "(not ) Meatballs".   I have eaten these 3 times in the last week and I LOVE THEM!! They make a perfect simple lunch.  I skip the pasta and marinara and just flatten them a bit so I can cook them in a pan with just a spay of olive oil.  YUMMY!! My kids love them too, and even my husband.  Don't get me wrong he would still prefer some baby back ribs but he settles happily for whatever I cook since the rib thing is not going to happen here.  What a good guy!

I would love to go on a web hunt and share more (there are lots!), but the fact that it is now almost 1 o'clock in the morning and this is the fourth time I have tried to get this posted pushes me toward bed.  I had to stay up and get this posted as I just couldn't give up since these recipes were too amazing not to share! I am going to call it a night as I am pretty sure Cruzy my 11/2 year old will be in to wake me pretty soon! Bummer....

Love to hear some of your healthy fun creative recipes.  Make sure to share them in the comments.

Thanks guys!

Quick easy weight loss tip....

There are so many special diets, diet pills, food plans to order,  you name it.  But this simple trick is free and easy.  I should say easy to understand harder to implement.

DRINK WATER

(NO JUICE, NO SODA, ETC...)

photo from cutcaster.com

You would be amazed how much drinks add up calorie wise.  Unless we are talking about freshly squeezed or extracted fruit and vegetable juices you juice at home for a specific health boost the addition of calories is just not worth it. This doesn't have to be a forever rule but if you are wanting to drop a few pounds painlessly this is a great trick! Skip that hazelnut breve mocha in favor of water or herbal tea and you skip a GIANT calorie load.  There is so much sugar and usually an array of added caffeine, colors, artificial sweeteners and additives that replacing them with water is a much better option! Even "healthy" sounding drinks like Gatorade still pack a hefty punch in the sugar department.  Worse yet are the flavored "water" drinks sweetened with splenda or crystal light that use dangerous artificial sweeteners!  Water is definitely the way to go.  It fills you up, gives your body the necessary means to flush out fatty deposits and is great for you skin just to name a few health benefits!  I have posted a deeper look at sweeteners natural and otherwise here in the Sweet stuff line up if you are looking for more information on natural sugar substitutes or concerning artificial sweeteners.

So remember replace your regular drinks with water and your body will thank you later!  Hopefully sooner than later!  Let me know how it goes.

GET HEALTHY! Easy single serve smoothie packs & recipes

Now that it is the beginning of a new year we are able to refocus on our health.  I spent the first week of  this month blogging on housekeeping and organizing with a post on the best health and fitness posts from 2011, and I want to spend this week on weight loss and healthy habits.  With that in mind I wanted to give you a few simple tips to create healthy nutrient dense smoothies quickly and easily.  I like to make these for breakfast to get a healthy start to the day.  

 TRICKS FOR INDIVDUAL FROZEN FRUIT SMOOTHIE PACKS

To make it even easier take the allotted amount of frozen fruit like a mixture of strawberries, peaches and bananas and put it all together in a zip lock bag and then toss it in the freezer.  Now all you have to do is grab a bag out of the freezer and add the rest of the ingredients in.  If you are adding yogurt you can freeze it ahead of time in ice cube trays.  Once it is frozen throw the desired amount of yogurt cubes into the ziplock bag that your frozen fruit is in and you have single serving smoothie packs!  If you usually add ice add the cubes to the freezer packs and you will not have to keep opening the freezer to get out several different ingredients!

If you love those juicy, fruity smoothies use the below recipe as a base and add some of the supplements mentioned further down.  The one below is my all time favorite as it tastes like a treat and in summer I even prefer it to ice cream!!  

      My favorite berry smoothie recipe

1 cup orange juice (sometimes I water it down to save on calories or switch it out for part green tea, or tazo passion tea made very strong with stevia for sweetener)
1 cup frozen mixed berries
1/2 cup yogurt (plain no growth hormones)
1/2 frozen banana ( I keep these on hand when bananas go on sale and break them in half and freeze on a cookie sheet then transfer to zip lock bag).
1 big handful of fresh spinach (will turn your smoothie a different color)

1 Tablespoon ground flax seed

1 tsp Maca powder ( I don't put this in my husbands or my kids)

a few pieces of ice.

Blend in blender.  If it needs more liquid just add a little more juice.  This one can easily be changed by switching up the fruits and juices used.  You can freeze juice in your ice cube tray if you feel the ice is watering it down.

Want a green smoothie? Follow the guide below.

I found this great guide from sweat and the city
The shake I most commonly make in the morning
is this one.

Protein Shake

1 c soy  milk (or 1/2 soy 1/2 water)

1/2 frozen banana

a few ice cubes

1 handful organic baby spinach 

1/2 -1 scoop soy protein powder

1 Tbs ground flax seed

Share your best smoothie recipes.  We would all love to hear them!

housekeeping - simplified

The theme of this last week has been on getting organized in the home in a doable way so that even the busiest of us can manage it. I gave you the clean heart, clean home challenge, and I have posted on the 15 minute a day method to methodically overhaul all your hidden spaces (closets,drawers,etc...)and now I want to look at the idea of a simple schedule you can memorize. I have successfully used this method in the past and it really helps you stay on top of all the details it is easy to overlook. The idea is to take a look at things you want to get done and seperate them into days of the week. For example here is a look at the schedule I have used and find helpful. Monday - Meal plan Grocerie list Coupon gathering Tuesday - Run errands Grocerie shop Wednesday Clean bathrooms in detail Vaccume Thursday - Kitchen (Wipe down cabinets & any appliances, etc....) Friday - Clean out frige Clean out car Clean out purse The idea is that you add in frequently overlooked chores on a weekly basis so that they get done and with minor upkeep. Believe me if you a stay on top of the frige it becomes an easy chore opposed to a difficult time consuming chore you dread! An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! What are your tricks? I love hearing from you all in the comments!