Strawberry Chia Smoothie
This recipe is a quick and healthy start to your day.
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup kefir, plain
1 cup strawberries, frozen
2 tsp soaked chia seeds
Add ingredients into blender. Blend until smooth. Enjoy!
Monday, March 26, 2012
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Being Green on St. Patrick’s Day
St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner. On March 17th of every year, everything from as far as the eye can see will be shrouded in a tint of green. Hair, food, clothing....you name it, and it will be green. But have you ever thought about celebrating the holiday "being green"? Meaning, we can still celebrate the holiday, but on a more eco-friendly manner.
Since the number 7 seems to be a "lucky" number, here are seven suggestions for families to observe the holiday that keeps within your healthy lifestyle.
Wear Green!
You can still wear something that is a shade of green. If you truly want to be "green", wear clothing that is made from organic or sustainable sources.
Decorate Naturally
Instead of decorating the house in items, such as balloons and streamers that you are going to throw in the trash after the day is done, opt for more natural decor. Bring the outdoors in by surrounding yourself with eye-popping plants in various colors of green. Basil, mint, ferns, and even shamrock plants, called oxalis, can be dispersed around the house. Place a wooden bowl filled with green apples on the kitchen table as a centerpiece. Surround candles with green lentils.
Plan an Irish Inspired Meal
If it is too much trouble to make three meals that are inspired by the Green Isles, plan just one. For breakfast, serve Irish tea, organic eggs with Irish butter, and skillet potatoes. For lunch, eat your greens. A big salad filled with spinach, various lettuces, broccoli, snap peas, and anything else green should do the trick. Once everyone is home for dinner, serve up some corned beef and cabbage, or Irish stew with Irish soda bread. Did you know that in rural Ireland, it was common to make bread using baking soda rather than yeast? If you want to make authentic Irish soda bread, find a recipe online that uses only four ingredients.......flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk.
I was in search of a kid-friendly dessert without that added artificial colors and found a lovely cupcake called Lucky Vanilla Cupcakes from blog, Sprinkle Bakes. My family loves pistachios, and the little, chocolate horseshoe decorating the top of the cupcake is simple, yet celebratory of the holiday.
If You are Going Use Dye, Use Dye from Natural Sources
Every time I see a food item that is brightly, neon colored, I cringe. We have become a nation of people that are so used to our food being glaringly colored, that we don't twice about what is in that color. I have fallen victim in years past to putting drops of green food coloring in my child's milk for St. Patty's day; we all have....but not anymore. These food dyes are not found naturally. They are made using petroleum (yes, I said it....just like the stuff we fill our cars with) and are banned in many other countries due to the increased risk of cancer, behavioral problems such as ADHD, asthma, and other conditions. Companies like India Tree and Chocolate Craft Kits produces food dyes that are derived from plant extracts, so you can still have a bit of color.
Celebrate the Day in Music and Books
When my children were younger, I would go on-line to my local library's website and request books relating to the holiday. It's free, and my kids would get excited to see the basket full of books in the living room for Mom and Dad to read to them at bedtime. They always liked the books with stories about leprechauns behaving mischievously.
Fill your house with Irish music. Again...check out the CDs at the library that will provide your house with hours of Celtic melodies.
Have Fun With the Kids Doing Easy, Economical Activities
You can pretend that a leprechaun lost his gold in the house and hide coins for the children to find
Talk to your children about the colors of the rainbow and build a "healthy" rainbow using fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, pineapples, oranges, kiwi, and grapes. For clouds, you can use homemade whipped cream
Dance to Irish music
Make "green" goop. Dissolve a couple of drops of natural food coloring in 2 cups of water. Add 6 cups of cornstarch and stir. The kids can spend hours playing with this stuff!
Go outside and look for four leaf clover.
Cut a green pepper and use the edge to dip into non-toxic green paint to make "shamrocks". Display the artwork as part of your St. Patrick's Day decor.
Go See a Parade
Many cities around the United States celebrate the holiday by having a St. Patrick's Day parade.
There are many of things you can do to fill your day with Irish inspired activities that are economical and eco-friendly. Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Since the number 7 seems to be a "lucky" number, here are seven suggestions for families to observe the holiday that keeps within your healthy lifestyle.
Wear Green!
You can still wear something that is a shade of green. If you truly want to be "green", wear clothing that is made from organic or sustainable sources.
Decorate Naturally
Instead of decorating the house in items, such as balloons and streamers that you are going to throw in the trash after the day is done, opt for more natural decor. Bring the outdoors in by surrounding yourself with eye-popping plants in various colors of green. Basil, mint, ferns, and even shamrock plants, called oxalis, can be dispersed around the house. Place a wooden bowl filled with green apples on the kitchen table as a centerpiece. Surround candles with green lentils.
Plan an Irish Inspired Meal
If it is too much trouble to make three meals that are inspired by the Green Isles, plan just one. For breakfast, serve Irish tea, organic eggs with Irish butter, and skillet potatoes. For lunch, eat your greens. A big salad filled with spinach, various lettuces, broccoli, snap peas, and anything else green should do the trick. Once everyone is home for dinner, serve up some corned beef and cabbage, or Irish stew with Irish soda bread. Did you know that in rural Ireland, it was common to make bread using baking soda rather than yeast? If you want to make authentic Irish soda bread, find a recipe online that uses only four ingredients.......flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk.
I was in search of a kid-friendly dessert without that added artificial colors and found a lovely cupcake called Lucky Vanilla Cupcakes from blog, Sprinkle Bakes. My family loves pistachios, and the little, chocolate horseshoe decorating the top of the cupcake is simple, yet celebratory of the holiday.
If You are Going Use Dye, Use Dye from Natural Sources
Every time I see a food item that is brightly, neon colored, I cringe. We have become a nation of people that are so used to our food being glaringly colored, that we don't twice about what is in that color. I have fallen victim in years past to putting drops of green food coloring in my child's milk for St. Patty's day; we all have....but not anymore. These food dyes are not found naturally. They are made using petroleum (yes, I said it....just like the stuff we fill our cars with) and are banned in many other countries due to the increased risk of cancer, behavioral problems such as ADHD, asthma, and other conditions. Companies like India Tree and Chocolate Craft Kits produces food dyes that are derived from plant extracts, so you can still have a bit of color.
Celebrate the Day in Music and Books
When my children were younger, I would go on-line to my local library's website and request books relating to the holiday. It's free, and my kids would get excited to see the basket full of books in the living room for Mom and Dad to read to them at bedtime. They always liked the books with stories about leprechauns behaving mischievously.
Fill your house with Irish music. Again...check out the CDs at the library that will provide your house with hours of Celtic melodies.
Have Fun With the Kids Doing Easy, Economical Activities
You can pretend that a leprechaun lost his gold in the house and hide coins for the children to find
Talk to your children about the colors of the rainbow and build a "healthy" rainbow using fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, pineapples, oranges, kiwi, and grapes. For clouds, you can use homemade whipped cream
Dance to Irish music
Make "green" goop. Dissolve a couple of drops of natural food coloring in 2 cups of water. Add 6 cups of cornstarch and stir. The kids can spend hours playing with this stuff!
Go outside and look for four leaf clover.
Cut a green pepper and use the edge to dip into non-toxic green paint to make "shamrocks". Display the artwork as part of your St. Patrick's Day decor.
Go See a Parade
Many cities around the United States celebrate the holiday by having a St. Patrick's Day parade.
There are many of things you can do to fill your day with Irish inspired activities that are economical and eco-friendly. Happy St. Patrick's Day!
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