Next....

I want to make these (click here)
I will let you know how they turn out! :)
Hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving!

Snow Cones

This August my youngest turned 4 and wanted a Carnival party. That meant snow cones as well, but the syrups made me uneasy. I got the kids ones that were not full of bad sugars, but I still didn't want to eat them. After reading this post, I think I may be breaking out the snow cone machine! It is super hot out and those look so good! YUM!
Happy Eating!
xo
Shannon

Cook Books!

My oldest is back to school...she is loving all the good food she is bringing in her lunch everyday. Still have not had time to take any photos. (Mornings are hard for us.) She also likes that she can have a healthy morning snack in her class.
I have been making a healthy treat per week and yummy lunches, but failing on cooking dinner everynight. Next week it is my goal to get back on track! My youngest will be starting Pre-K and I am hoping the new routine will allow me to get to the grocery store without two crabby, hot kids in tow.
Hope everyone is cooking lots of good stuff!
If you need recipe ideas, click here for some of the best cook books and the inspiration behind our heathy eating!
Happy Shopping!
xo
Shannon

Back to School!

My daughter (oldest) starts second grade tomorrow!! Now that school is back in, I will be making lots of treats and food for her lunches. I have the laptop lunch system that works well to avoid tons of plastic bags to keep fresh food in.
Also, read here if you ever thought about giving your child a lunchable....ick! I saw a commercial for the new "healthy version" that has a pb &J sandwich and a fruit cup packed with extra sugars. So sick they market that as healthy!!!
I will post a photo of my girl's lunch....turkey roll up, blueberries, coconut flower brownie, and almonds. Yummy...also a note and a cute jokes from How Does She? Sign up for their newsletter and download some cuteness! :)
Happy Back to School!!
Xo
Shannon

Hey There

I promise I have been making some healthy food around here, but we took a slight detour when our niece came into town. We ate out a bit more, had lots of fun, but still ate cheese crackers, cookies, and avocado dip I made. We had a great BBQ day too...pulled BBQ chicken in the crock pot...so easy!! :)
I used a store bought BBQ sauce, but click here to make your own if you want.
Hope your summer is going great (and organic as possible!)
xo
Shannon

Brownies

Today being stuck in the house I also made some Brownies! Yummy....
Ingredients
The recipe is from here, so the list calls for their coconut brand, but the kind I have worked just fine from Sprouts.

1/3 cup TIANA Organic Virgin Coconut Oil or butter, melted
½ cup cocoa powder
6 eggs
1 cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ cup sifted TIANA Organic Coconut Flour
1 cup nuts, chopped (optional)I skipped this and added a bit of choc. chips

Method

In a saucepan at low heat, blend together butter and cocoa powder. Remove from heat and let cool. In a bowl, mix together eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla. Stir in cocoa mixture. Whisk coconut flour into batter until there are no lumps. Fold in nuts. Pour batter into a greased 11x7x2 or 8x8x2 inch pan. Bake at 175C (350F) for 30-35 minutes.


Happy Snacking!
xo
Shannon

Soup for Lunch!

What do you make for lunch when you have two kids just getting over a stomach bug and you have not grocery shopped all week? I guess what you can find in the fridge! I had some fennel bulbs and the girls wanted soup for lunch, so I made some tomato and fennel soup. They love it...I leave out the garlic and onion for David, but it still tasted great. :)
We also had grilled cheese sandwiches with white cheddar cheese. Yum. I never thought about the "orange cheddar" being dyed that color. Yuck! So now we buy the white, grassfed kind. The girls do not mind or know the difference.
Here is the soup recipe link.
Happy Lunching!
xo
Shannon

Chocolate Waffles

Yes, you read that correct....chocolate waffles! Need I say more? :)
Ok...here is the link where I found the recipe. I substituted vanilla protein for the Arbonne chocolate kind. So yummy!
Happy Breakfast Making!
xo
Shannon

Onion Dip

One of my favorite "party snacks" is onion dip! I just found this post and will not be eating the Lipton mix anymore! I can't wait to try this recipe. :)
Onion Dip Mix
3/4 cup instant minced onion
1/3 cup beef bouillon powder (watch for gluten and MSG)
4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp crushed celery seed
1/4 tsp powdered stevia (or 1 tsp erythritol)

Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container. About 5 tablespoons of mix are equal to 1 1¼-ounce package. NOTE: To make onion dip: Mix 5 tablespoons with one pint of sour cream. Makes 4 servings.
Happy Snacking!
xo
Shannon

Happy 4th of July!

So, I have been asked a lot lately how to eat out, at other people's houses or how to plan a trip snacks. I will answer about snacks since tonight we met up with friends to watch fireworks. I started to stress over what to bring for a second...not being able to just grab little packaged bars was weird. I packed water, 1 seedless watermelon cut up and in a bag ready to go, and a bag of almonds. My kids were happy, they shared the watermelon with friends and each had 1/2 a cookie from what a friend brought. Not bad. :)
I used one of the cooler bags that looks like a beach bag to keep the watermelon cool. We are planning to head to cooler weather for the 4th and I am packing a couple watermelons, nuts, mini oranges and I will make some cookies and protein bars to bring. I know the kids will not miss the packaged bars :)
I hope everyone has a happy 4th of July!!
xo
Shannon

Egg muffins!

So, for breakfast in a hurry, I found a great recipe for Egg muffins.
I just used spinach, chicken hot dog, ground turkey, or any leftover meat in the fridge, chopped roma tomato, white cheddar, and eggs. The girls love them and I can prep the ingredients at night and then pop the stuff in the muffin tin, cover with egg and bake...20 minutes and you have breakfast!
Happy Mornings!
xo
Shannon

Avocado Dip and crackers

Ok, today I made the best avocado dip ever....so good, the kids almost ate the whole bowl! :)
I left out the feta cheese since I did not have any in the house. 3 grocery store trips this week is my limit. haha

I made crackers too....so yummy...there are about 5 left! The kids were so sweet today to thank me for "all the healthy and delicious" food I have been making. Makes all the effort sooo worth it!

For those who may think...."who has time to cook healthy and make food from scratch"... that was my thinking just a few months ago. Really, if you make time and even take a 1/2 hour a day or every other day....it can make a difference.
I had to make time. When school is back in, I will probably take a couple hours one day a week to make some things and then freeze it. I prepare things at night like pancake batter and it is ready to go in the morning when we are the busiest.
Honestly, I have two kids to care for (the good part is they love helping me cook), 3dogs, 5 fish, a bird, a hamster, a husband, a photography business that is crazy busy thanks to my amazing clients, a vacation rental in San Diego to manage that we own that is constantly booking, I volunteer to be a girl scout leader, volunteer for New Directions/AZCA, help with my MOMS club where I can, attend playdates, plan on teaching an art class for a couple weeks this summer, have regular rentals to rent out and fix up, teach photo workshops, and just started with a great company to sell safe products so I can share the knowledge I have been so lucky to obtain. I know there is more, like this week getting to care for my parent's pets while they are gone, but you get the idea...I am BUSY and can still manage to make some food for my family. I know it will not be everyday and I am not perfect at this, but I feel good at least trying to go organic. One day at a time is how I can manage this and the laundry has been a bit neglected for a couple days. ;)
Happy Sleeping....that is where I am off to.
xo
Shannon

Rice

I made cauliflower rice the other day and it was so good...better than regular rice for sure. My family all loved it. I had no idea that rice was really bad to eat until reading Maria's post on fried rice. I made a healthy stir fry and the rice. I left out most of the ingredients and just used the cauliflower and a bit of coconut oil to fry it in since I made the stir fry with all the veggies and chicken in it. I added raw almonds too. It will be a weekly meal for sure.
Happy Eating!
xo
Shannon

Corn dog

Today I tried making something my oldest asks for a couple times a year...a corn dog!
I have let her have them a couple times cringing as she ate the greesy thing, but like this new recipe for a corn dog without the corn part or yucky oils.
I used applegate chicken dogs, and then mixed 2 tbls. of coconut flour, a splash of unsweetened coconut milk, & 1 egg all together. (This covers one dog, so just account for how many you are making...I tripled it for 3 dogs) You just form the mix around the hotdog and then you can use coconut oil (or healthy oil of your choice) to cook them in a pan. I think next time I will bake them for 15 minutes at 350 since I couldn't get the dough evenly cooked as much as I would have liked. Pictured is mine without the stick, but I used a white lollipop stick for the girls. I had them left from when I once attempted cake pops. Super good, but too much work for me. ;)
*This recipe is from the Nutritious and Delicious Book by Maria Emmerich
I had a phone consultation with her last month and have a month of support via email after reading this book. So much great information!
Happy Eating!
xo
Shannon

Homemade

Today was the second time I made all of the food we ate as fresh and organic as I could. This week was the first week I was not a bit overwhelmed trying to be better at this going organic life style. I went to Trader Joe's knowing that they did not have the almond or coconut flour I would need before entering the store, but the sprouted bread from there was a must have as well as the turkey meatballs and other essentials. I hit Sprouts and knew they had the produce and flours I needed as well as coconut oil.
Success for me is getting through the store with all my items without my kids fighting...bascially 30 minutes or less! :)
In this photo we have white cheddar crackers that I will eventually find a small fish cookie cutter for, but the kids nearly scarfed the whole batch regardless of them having a cute shape. I got the recipe from Maria's Nutritious and Delicious book, but here is a link to her protein crackers and why I am not feeding the girls boxed crackers ever again. I want to make these crackers next with her avocado dip from the book....yum!!
The second photo is just tomatoes with fresh mozzarella, fresh basil and balsamic vinegar from Trader Joe's. We had chicken dogs (nitrate free) from Applegate Farm's with this for lunch purchased at Sprout's.
The 3rd photo is the coconut flour cookies I made for the second time this week...the girls are so in love! I posted about these earlier in the week!
The 4th photo is cabbage pasta I used turkey meatballs from Trader Joe's and a low sugar pomodora sauce with my own fresh basil added. So good!
Last, was actually the first thing we ate today. Protein pancakes the kids were begging for more of tomorrow were a hit! I used unsweetened coconut milk instead of almond and the vanilla protein powder from Arbonne.com since that is what I had on hand. They did not even ask for syrup or butter on them! Organic strawberries and a scrambled egg was the rest of the meal. Even my husband said they were great!
I used to use Bisquik for pancakes, but after reading this link, I threw it away fast!
The one single photo is the smoothie I almost forgot I made today. 1 and a half cups fresh or frozen strawberries, 1 and a half cups coconut milk (or any milk you like), 1 cup yogurt...we use unsweetened Greek kind to reduce sugar, some blueberries, a banana, 7 ice cubes, a tsp. of no sugar added strawberry preserves, just blend and enjoy! This was a snack today.



The last thing they had today was not pictured because it was coconut milk vanilla icecream and they were not wanting to wait to eat it while I took photos. :)
Happy Eating!
xo
Shannon

Gardens

Ok, I am not here yet, but hope to build a garden soon. I am basically not a great baker or person to keep plants alive. I try...really, I do. :)
Here is a link to how to create a backyard garden...thank you for sending Monica!
Here is another link for classes on creating an urban garden.
Happy planting!
xo
Shannon

Cookies!

So we like cookies just a little bit around our house. ;)
I found this recipe and have to say they are pretty good! The kids love them and so I am a happy mom!
Happy Baking!
xo
Shannon

Sugar!

Taken from Maria Mind Body and Health on Facebook.
*Her blog is the Nutritious and Delicious one. :)
‎4 grams carbs = 1 tsp sugar!

A small Blizzard has 530 calories and 83 carbs
That = 21 teaspoons of sugar

...2 cups GRAPENUTS
That = 32 teaspoons of sugar!
Add a small glass of juice, that’s another 16 tsp

Could our food supply be part of your problem?
In 1840, a typical person in the U.S. consumed 2 teaspoons of sugar per day
As of 2009, = 63 teaspoons of sugar each and every day!

Maria has shared her knowledge with me and I was amazed at the amount of sugar in things like ketchup, BBQ sauce and pasta sauce. Even the "healthy" organic Z bars I was letting the kids have had too much sugar.

Happy Eating!
xo
Shannon

Why Ingredients Are So Important...

It is easy to think that if a product is on a store shelf it is safe, but that is so far from the truth. There is little regulation in the USA for using only pure products in our make-up, lotions, shampoos and other beauty products.
*Taken from Arbonne site via Tisha Morgan and Candace Nystrom
*Why Are Ingredients Important?
Mineral Oil
The #1 most used ingredient in American skin care. A mixture of refined liquid hydrocarbons derived from petroleum. Mineral oil and all petroleum-based ingredients are products of black crude oil. In Switzerland, where Arbonne is formulated, it is ILLEGAL to use mineral oil in a cosmetic formula. Mineral oil cost about $1.00/gallon, as compared to essential oils which can cost as much as $100.00/gallon. Mineral oil’s molecular size is too large to be absorbed by the skin, thus it forms a film on the skin’s surface blocking the pores natural respiration and secretion process, as well as absorption of other nutrients.
Lanolin
Oily excretion of sheep (sheep sweat), lanolin is a common lubricating ingredient in skin formulas. Extracted from the wool, lanolin has been indicated as a cause of allergic skin reactions in sensitive people. Sheep are bathed twice a year, their wool boiled down and the lanolin skimmed off the top. Imagine not washing your hair for 2 months, scooping off the oily stuff and sticking it in your jar of moisturizer.
Collagen
An animal product (derived from chicken’s feet and used cooking grease), collagen is added to formulas as a moisturizing agent. Collagen molecules are too large to penetrate the skin and can therefore clog pores blocking the skin’s own natural respiration and secretion process, and absorption of other nutrients.
Chemical Dyes and Fragrances
Formulated chemically from a wide variety of sources. Artificial colors are known to cause allergic reactions. Chemical fragrances have been known to cause reactions and photosensitivity in some people. There are an abundance of herbs and botanicals that serve the same purpose, hence there simply is no need to add chemical dyes and fragrances to skin care formulations.
SD40 Alcohol / Alcohols
Strips the skins natural acid mantle, exposing the pores to bacteria and germs. “Skin care products that strip do much more than cause skin problems, they leave pores exposed allowing bacterial growth in the pores which is where these harmful elements enter the blood stream and cause illness or even death,” - Dr. Bruce Hensel
Petroleum Jelly (petrolatum)
Another petroleum derivative, forms a heavier film on the surface of your skin. When your skin perspires and releases water containing salt and chemicals, it aids the liver and kidneys in detoxifying your body. Like mineral oil, petrolatum blocks the skin’s natural breathing and excretion functions.
Scary stuff! Gross stuff! Makes me so mad this garbage can be in our products. I have become a label reader, my kids are label readers, trying to get my hubby to be a label reader...small steps. :) I got rid of huge bagfulls of smelly, pretty lotions and make-up. Sad, but it had to go. It felt good to replace with products I know are safe. Two places I found these products....Arbonne and Healing Anthropology. I have used the Healing Anthropolgy for years after a friend recommended the calendula salve for my daughter's eczema. Works like magic! Love all of the baby line and pumpkin enzyme and well, everything they make! :)
Arbonne is a new thing to me after my friend Tisha introduced it to me when I was searching for safe make-up to use, shampoo and conditioner and everyday lotions. I was skeptical at first, but LOVE the products. We have even been using the healthy essentials. Everything I have used has been amazing. The lipgloss is pretty and stays on, the eyeliners and eyeshadow stay on...I love it all and I have been adding new products every week to my collection. :)
If you want to try any products, please let me know! I can also help you get the products 20-80% off! Hurray for discounts!
Happy product shopping!
xo
Shannon

Going organic?

Is that kind of like going crazy? Well, it feels that way at times. Trying to eat healthy, use the right products, avoid nasty chemicals, pesticides, hormones, sugar, parabens, and the long list of other toxins we encounter on a daily basis does have me feeling a little crazy. Why can there not be a store that you can just walk into, find all of your healthy products and be home in under an hour? I wish, but since we are talking the real world and not my dream one, I have been wanting to find a way to connect with others trying to live healthy, do better, be educated, and going organic. I hope this blog can be a place where others share ideas, serve as a place to find great resources, recipes, and tips to at least live our lives cleaner.

What is my motivation? My family. My husband and two daughters are my everything and it is my job to find the best products and food for them. I also am motivated by the fear of the cancer that runs in my family, the rise in cancer in general, and the rise in diabetes and other health problems plaguing our country.

How do you go organic? One small step at a time.

Do I think it will really make a difference for my health and the health of my family?
Well, Yes! :)

I hope you will find ways to be going organic and share them with us!
Please leave a comment with any tips or things to share or you can email me at Shannon.fisher@cox.net


xo
Shannon