Peppermint Paradise...

So... today is actually Thanksgiving and I DO hope you are having a wonderful time celebrating with family and friends and rejoicing over the MANY things we DO have to be thankful for. I am thankful for my hard-working (at work, at home, and with me!) husband, my sweet kids, my precious family both near and far, dear friends, good health, and the many basic needs that the Lord provides daily for us. And... I am thankful for this time of year. The Christmas Season where we have extra opportunities to love on others, teach our kids about the world near and far, bless those who have little or a lot with our words and actions, a chance to create memories with our Advent Calendar, and some time to relish in the deliciousness of "Peppermint Paradise!" 

 Thanks to my good friends at Trader Joe's (that's actually true, I DO have some really sweet friends there thanks to my frequent visits and their sweet hearts!) they supply me with plenty of peppermint to get my fill for the whole year. I DO love me some peppermint - and if there is chocolate involved, consider it a done deal!

 Here are some of my favorite Peppermint Treats I think you ought to take a peek at if you are a lover of the Christmas Flavor...

Introducing the new and scrumptious "Mini Peppermint Waffle Cookies"... they are bits of waffle cookie covered in a rich chocolate sprinkled with peppermint crumbs...oh, they are dangerous!

Don't forget about the ever-delicious Peppermint Joe-Joe's...

If you want to make your own home made version of peppermint cookies, try these!

Did you know that they make a Peppermint Joe-Joe ice cream now?? Don't buy it if you don't want to eat the whole thing in 5 minutes... it's beautiful!

Also, on a healthier (non-chocolate note!) Trader Joe's has refreshing Peppermint Candy Cane Tea that is fabulous- a flavorful peppermint followed by a hint of sweet vanilla. It's Green tea and it's decaf!

And just for fun... look at these darling treats from here and here...








Don't you just want to put it out for decoration?? The cake stand alone is to die for!!!

Kick off the Holidays...

Here's a little plug for the coolest gig ever.... Kick off your holiday season right by loving on others. This is a really practical, hands-on way to help, bless, love and care for those who don't have much. Check out this ministry called Operation Christmas Child by Samaritan's Purse. It's a great thing to do with your kids, it's a very tangible way for them to see and experience loving others in a real way. We get a (big) shoe box from the closet, then we head off to find treasures and trinkets we think these kids would like. Everything from dolls and cars, to toothpaste, brushes, hair ties, games, cards, and snacks. When the shoe box is full to the brim, we take it to a church drop off point, they include a bible and some stories about Jesus in the child's language, then they ship them all over the world- even the most remote parts!

 Gather your kids around the computer and show them some videos and pictures so they can really SEE where these goodies are going. They will love it. You will love it. And more importantly, the kids who receive the gift will be blessed beyond belief... with just a little shoe box of LOVE.

Samaritans Purse Videos: (Check out "Joy in the Farthest Reaches of the World")
http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/index/

Samaritans Purse Photos:
http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/In_Pictures/

Harvest Morning Oatmeal

 I love that Fall is here! It's time to change up our morning oatmeal from fresh berries and peaches, to something with a little bit more crunch! How about pomegranate seeds???

We cook Steel Cut Oats at least 3 times a week around here, and while they are cooking we always add a little cinnamon... feeling like a little more Fall-ish flavors?? Add a dash of Nutmeg and top with Pomegranate Seeds. Don't be afraid of Pomegranates, they are so easy to prepare (see "Tip" below), I usually do 4-5 at a time in a cool bowl of water in the kitchen sink and then store them in a Ziplock bag, which makes them a perfect topping for this Harvest Morning Oatmeal! Enjoy!

Quick Tip to De-Seed your Pomegranates: Fill up a large bowl in your sink with cool water. Take your pomegranate and slice it in half with a sharp knife. Submerge one half of the pomegranate in the water and peel back the skin like you are turning it inside out. All the seeds will pop out and because it's under water there will be no spraying or staining of your clothes! Plus, all the seeds will sink to the bottom and all the excess stuff from the inside of the pomegranate will float to the top. Then you can skim off the top of the bowl with you hand and strain the seeds out for eating. I usually do a bunch at a time and store them in a ziplock bag in the fridge to snack on!

Do you have extra Pomegranates, try this delicious salad, one of my favorites for sure!!!

Success Story: Kelly

Meet my friend Kelly. She's about as sweet as they come... and so is her darling family. She called me a few weeks ago ready to make a change with her diet and looking for some help along the way. She had decided she was ready to change her eating habits, and those of her husband, 2 boys and thought she could use a little direction along the way. So I set up a week long meal plan for her, including breakfasts, lunches, dinner, snacks and desserts. Here's a little snip-it of her journey... I thought you guys might enjoy reading about it. And if you are feeling like you relate with Kelly and want a change in your diet, or you are looking for a meal plan or a change up from the normal, than check out the meal  plan at the bottom of her story. 

1. What made you want to change the way you eat?

I enjoy eating healthy and trying new foods, but my husband is picky and does not like very many vegetables. Also, I am not the most experienced cook. :) My mom, who is truly the most fantastic mom, did not teach me how to cook. She did very little cooking when I was growing up; she just did not like to cook. This combination of not having a lot of experience and having a picky eating husband discouraged me from trying new recipes. When I tried to cook healthy, the meals were boring, simple meals. Then we had kids and life was even more crazy and trying to cook new foods was far off my reality radar. Truly, I wanted to learn some better options for my family and I love trying new foods, but it seemed like too big of a mountain to climb with 3 little kids ages three years old and younger. Then a few weeks ago I was reading an article about processed sugar and how it is broken down in the body. That same week my husband and I had a conversation with some of our close friends about a food documentary they had watched about American diets. This further confirmed in my mind it was time to make a change. A light went on inside me and I decided I wanted to cut out a lot of the process foods we were eating, but I needed help. I needed a mentor. I consulted one of my dearest friends, Andrea the author of this blog, and we got started on our healthy eating week long boot camp...cutting out the processed foods and sugars. Andrea made me a one-week meal plan complete with breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, and dessert.  She also met me at the store and we picked out good snacks and also foods that we could take on the go so that if we were stuck in the car during a meal time we would have options until we made it home. 

2. What was the hardest part about changing?

Since the kitchen often overwhelms me and I did not have many other ideas besides what I was already doing, I needed a plan. I needed to know what I could snack on and cook if I was not going to be able to eat my normal snacks and foods. Now, it was not like we were eating fast food or mac and cheese every night, but we did have our share of cookies and crackers in the pantry. So I needed replacements, but I did not know where to start. I already fed my family fruits and (some) vegetables, but what about more interesting ideas. I had none. I also needed to get my husband on board. He totally stepped up and supported me. Love him!  

3. What was the best thing about your new meal plan?

The best part was that it was complete and stress free because I did not have to come up with the foods we were going to eat...it was all mapped out. The meals were chosen at a cooking level in which I felt comfortable. I also had Andrea who I could call and ask questions if I needed help with the cooking. :)  

4. Did you feel different?

I did feel different. My body processed the food a lot more, uh-hem, efficiently. :) Mentally, it was awesome to know that I had not put junk in my body all day and that my family was eating healthy. It also was a victory to actually eat a whole week cutting out the processed junk and still really enjoy what I was eating. 

5. And do you think you will continue? why or why not.

Yes we will continue. It is going to be slowly. I am slowly going to build up more foods that we all like that fit into this new category of healthy and tasty meals. My husband was really impressed with the fact that the food was healthy and flavorful. I am excited to keep going on this journey. I do admit though that I will sometimes break my own rules...ice cream sometimes sneaks its way into our freezer. :)

Kelly*s New Meal Plan!

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
B: Rice Cakes/ Apples w/ PB (or granola w/       milk)	B: Smoothies  & Eggs	B: Oatmeal &     Fresh Fruit	B: Smoothies  & Rice Cakes (or apples) w/PB	B: Oatmeal &    Fresh Fruit	B: Smoothies  & Eggs	B: Breakfast        Burritos
L : Grilled Cheese, Tuna or PB & Honey Sandwiches w/ carrots, bells & cucumbers dipped in hummus	L: Hummus Sandwiches in Pitas with cucumbers, sprouts, bells, basil, etc. with nuts and fruit	L: Leftover    Taco Salad	Left over Pesto Pasta w/ apple & baby carrots	L: Leftover   Greek Salad Stuffed Pitas	L: Leftover    Mexican Lasagna & Baby     Carrots	L: Leftover Santa Fe Salad
D: BBQ chicken, Sweet Potato Fries & Salad or Corn on the Cob	D: Taco Salad	D: Pesto Pasta or Spaghetti w/ broccoli, squash or asparagus	D: Greek Salad Stuffed Pitas	D: Mexican      Lasagna & Green Salad	D: Santa Fe        Salad	D: OUT! (Chipolte or Coconut Joe’s)
Snacks/Dessert: * Fruit/Veggies * Mango Ice    Cream	Snacks/Dessert: * Apples & PB * Dried Apricots & Choc. Chips	Snacks/Dessert: * Lara Bar * popcorn	Snacks/ Dessert: * pistachios * Banana Whips	Snacks/Dessert: * Trail Mix * Popcorn	Snacks/Dessert: * Rice Crackers * Banana whips	Snacks/Dessert: * Granola Bars *TREAT!    IceCream

And the WINNER is...

The Winner of the Sippy Cup Cleaner Giveaway is....

    The Ryska Family! 

Congrats!! Keep your eye for it in the mail!

   Thanks to all who participated!!!

*Winner was chosen by using  http://www.random.org/*

Did you HEAR???

Just incase you live near a Trader Joe's and you are moderately to majorly obsessed... here's a heads up....they now carry KALE AND GLUTEN FREE BREAD!!!! Can you believe it?? Check it out, it's even printed in their Fearless Flyer... TWO GREAT NEW additions in one MONTH!!! I can hardly stand it!

** If you are wondering what to do with kale, you can add it to a salad, it can be sauteed, it can be hidden in apple sauce, it can be made into chips, added to soups or smoothies and it's packed with nutrients that will make your body happy!

** And I think their Brown Rice Gluten Free Bread comes in two options: 1. Whole Grain Brown Rice Bread 2. Multigrain Brown Rice Bread.... it's dense and heavy, but it's great toasted if you are trying to avoid gluten!

Homemade Pesto Pizza

This cooler weather calls for a toasted pizza bursting with flavor!

Try branching out, letting go of the traditional marinara pizza sauce, or maybe even the BBQ pizza... it's time to meet Pesto Pizza.

Pizza Dough Rolled out with Pesto Sauce, Sauteed Onions & Green Peppers

 Add the tomato, chicken, and cheese

 Bake at 450 and you are done!

Ingredients: (this will make 2 pizza's)

2 rounds of pizza dough ( I used Trader Joe's pre-made whole wheat dough)

mozzarella cheese, shredded

cooked chicken, cubed (see below)

1 tomato, diced

1 green onion, chopped

1/2 sweet onion, chopped

pesto pizza sauce (see recipe below)

Pesto Pizza Sauce:

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup pine nuts

2 cups fresh basil

3 cloves garlic

Cooked Chicken:

This recipe is great if you have left over chicken from another dish, if not, here's what I did. I baked a package of chicken that was seasoned with sea salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a Pyrex dish, then cubed it. I used half for the pizza, and saved half for the next night's salad. Two meals in one :)

Directions:

If you are using a premade pizza dough, see directions, but the TJ's one will tell you to take your dough out 20 minutes before to let it rise. In a Vitamix or food processor, make your pesto pizza sauce. Then,  on a floured cookie sheet, roll out your pizza dough and spoon on your pesto sauce. You can either add your onions & green peppers raw or saute them for 2 minutes in a drizzle of Grape Seed oil ( I prefer them sauteed with a little s & p!). So, next add your sauteed green peppers, your onion, and your fresh chopped tomato. Sprinkle with Mozzarella Cheese and bake for 12 minutes on 450 until cheese is melted and bubbly, golden brown! YUM!