Run for your LIFE

Run for your life. Just something that has been on my heart lately.

a) God gave me one life
b) Also, one body

My responsibility is to be obedient to His call and His word. That's my job... so I desire to take care of this physical body so that I can run this race without the complications of sickness or excess 'weight'.  God doesn't want us spiritually running with baggage. Why? It slows us down, weighs on our hearts and takes the focus off of Him.
It doesn't matter how heavy you are now, but it does matter that you start to 'lighten your load', if you will... both physically and spiritually.

Start to drink more water and less coffee! Less soda or juice. Our body is made up of mostly water, keep it at great supply. Water also helps with the digestion process, helps flush toxins, and loads of other amazingly intricate things!

That doesn't mean that you have to go run a marathon right now. It means you can watch what you eat or what you don't eat. Start by walking. Add a little jog into your step, run for a couple minutes and then walk some. Run a mile strait! Run half a mile, walk half. Run a whole mile, walk a half mile. Run a 5K. Run a 10k, Run a Marathon.

Sometimes it's uncomfortable when we are stretched by God's plan for us... I think that sometimes we need to feel stretched when it comes to our physical body as well. It hurts to run, its uncomfortable, you sweat, you stink, hahaha. But I think it is supposed to feel that way. No one ever regrets a good work out.

Run for your life! FOR YOUR LIFE! Because you only get one crack at it. I don't want to set my expiration date, I want God's expiration date on my life. I hope you get my heart through this.

This is a fragile subject and I have a passion for health and fitness, if you need help or accountability please feel free to email me! Have a blessed day!

Hungry Mom

Eating Healthy in the Fall ? IT IS POSSIBLE

Well fall is knocking at our door! I thought it would be fun to just have some simple tips for eating clean in the fall. It seems like the pumpkin spice lattes come out along side the pumpkin pie and its all over from there. Just remember, you don't have to eat it!

Tips:

Replace white flour with Oat flour. How you say? Buy Oat flour OR do what I do, and grind up regular oatmeal in the coffee grinder or in a bullet.  Some sort of fine grinding machine. Grind oats to a fine flour! The oat flour is great and has been what I have been using in breads as well as muffins, pancakes, and cobblers.

Use RAW sugar or pure cane sugar over brown sugar and refined sugars. It is so easy to just buy the white sugar to go in baked goods or even coffee, but RAW unprocessed sugar is better then the white. Please Read --> http://www.naturalorganiclifestyle.com/unrefined-raw-sugar.html

Use applesauce in place of oil. It works and it is great!

Use dark chocolate when baking. Adding dark chocolate M&M's to cookies is a great alternative to milk chocolate chips.

Right now is a great time to get grapes! Grapes are an amazing healthy sweet snack and they are in season. I get mine at seven oaks for .79 a lb. That's a steal. Load up on these, rinse and throw them in the fridge and pull a handful out when you need a sweet treat!

Other 'in season' produce: Summer squash, corn, cucumbers, beets, tomato, peppers, melons, potatoes, pears, apples.

Keep chopped veggies on hand so if you feel the need to snack you can grab something that is ready. I keep some dip or hummus always in the fridge so I can eat a cucumber as a snack with some dip and when I'm done, I feel satisfied.

Making soups is a great idea right now. I made potato and Kale soup for dinner last night and it was great!

Another great tip is to buy the in season produce for cheap and invest in some freezer bags and wash, cut, and freeze fresh produce now, so you can enjoy the harvest all year long. I have a freezer full of Peaches, corn, and blackberries and I am looking to do some applesauce, peppers, and freeze tomato sauce. Please take advantage of your local farms now, while you can get it for such a great deal! It just takes small steps to keep a healthy you.

If you have yet to watch Forks over knives, please do so! It is a documentary that you can view on netflix or rent. It may change your life.

Here are a few recipes from their site!

Blessings,
Dani

http://www.forksoverknives.com/baked-french-fries-ketchup/

http://www.forksoverknives.com/vegan-thanksgiving-recipes-2/

Berry Coconut Crisp

I went and picked some fresh blackberries today and had some blueberry's in the fridge. I told myself I wouldn't make this, but I couldn't resist! It turned out amazing. Please enjoy this recipe and feel free to share with me via email any special recipes you may have!


5 cups fresh berries, I used 3 cups black and 2 cups blue
2 Tablespoons RAW sugar
(Mix these two ingredients and place in the bottom of baking dish)

In a bowl, combine
1/2 cups Oats
1/4 cup Rice Flour or Oat Flour or regular
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 cup coconut shavings
4 tablespoons butter or butter substitute

Mix these ingredients together and cut butter in last. When mixture is course, add to the top of berries evenly.

Bake @ 375 for 30 minutes. Allow to cool and serve with Vanilla ice cream or topped with whipping cream.

This is my very own creation. I must say its amazing, my husband LOVES it.

Blessings,

Dani

Seven Oaks Produce List

Hope you all find this as helpful as I did! Its a little hard to see, but it shows what months they have certain produce! I love Seven Oaks Farm!

For those of you that have no clue where they are, here is their info! 

Contact:
5504 Rogue Valley Hwy, 
Central Point, OR 97502
541-664-2060 

Blessings, Dani

DIY Fluoride Free Toothpaste

Very excited to try this home made toothpaste. It is Fluoride free, in case if some of you are wondering why I am excited about my toothpaste not having fluoride... its simply because it's poisonous. Some of the toothpastes actually have a Poison warning on the actual label. Which is why, you are supposed to spit out as much as possibly while brushing. I know it is such a small amount ingested but, if its capable of causing death in kids and adults if ingested in high amounts, I want to avoid it if I can. It's definitely something worth looking into for your family.

With having little ones around my house, they actually swallow quite a bit while brushing. So I found this recipe, and I am so excited to try it. It has great reviews. 

Blessings, 

Dani

Tooth-Soap

1 Tbsp Dr Bronners Castile liquid soap

5 Tbsp Coconut oil

1 Tbsp Olive Oil or water (to get the consistency, to get it to work through a soap dispenser)

20-25 drops of essential oil, Orange or Peppermint, if you use Dr Bronners mint soap, skip this step

Stevia to sweeten to your liking's 

Mix up, put in an unused or cleaned soap dispenser or mason jar... whatever you want. 

Whistle While you Work

Alright, I know what you are thinking... Dani, this is a healthy food blog. Yes, yes it is. But, for some strange reason, today I feel inspired to write about cleaning. Why? Well, because I feel if you have a clean home, you have a happy family, a safe and fun environment that your kids and spouse want to be in.

My theory is, if you start it and stay focused... before you know it, you're done! (It's that staying focused thing that tends to get us.) In this day and age, there are so many distractions. Too many 'devices'. Yes, I said it.
We tend to neglect the things that need done. Ouch huh? I am totally guilty of this one. TOTALLY.

So, my simple challenge to you this week and maybe in the weeks to come, is too map out a cleaning plan, jot down what really needs to get done. For me, its that I need to go through every bedroom and GET RID of toys/clothes/accessories. Clutter. I need to get rid of things so that I can remain organized. Do not be afraid to get your kids involved. I have 4 kids. 6,4,2 and one. My 6,4,& 2 year old clean their own room. They know where their toys go, most of the time I have to go in there and remind them, a couple... ok like 15 times to clean and not play... but hey, they know it is their responsibility. As they get older they are excited to help around the house because they know their help, means a lot.

Jot it down, map it out, stay focused and get it done!

Blessings!

Dani

Whole Wheat Tortillas

We all know that we can buy 100% whole wheat tortillas, but you can also make them. I love making them, because if you haven't noticed on the ingredients label of your store bought ones, its not as simple as this recipe. And the words I can't pronounce, tend to scare me. :) 

My husband and I really enjoy these tortillas, they are delicious and filling. I hope you enjoy! This week try to focus on the main goal of this blog and that is Eat to Live, not Live to Eat. Have a great week! 

Blessings, 

Dani

Whole Wheat Tortillas

2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour

1/2 tsp Salt

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 cup warm water

Mix flour and salt in bowl.

Add olive oil and stir until combined.

Add warm water Tbsp at a time.

Knead dough on floured surface for a few minutes.

Allow dough to rest for 15 minutes. (sometimes my dough doesn't get a 'rest' )

Roll dough into sausage shape and then cut into 12 equal parts.

Roll parts into balls, if you are wanting larger tortillas then only cut into 6 parts.

With a rolling pin, start from middle of dough and work out.

Heat a skillet over medium heat, I use a nonstick pan with no oil.

Place tortilla on pan when it starts to bubble/dry, flip.

Keep tortillas warm by wrapping in a kitchen towel, or placing them in a tortilla warmer.

U Picks, in Jackson County

Here is a list of 'U Picks' in Jackson county! Most of the time you can get a better deal, because we are doing half the work... and its fun! I would map out your route before going out and maybe calling just to make sure they are open. 

Blessings, Dani

Alta Vista Orchard - 2597 W. Stewart Ave Medford - BlueBerries!


The Berry Patch - 420 Sams Creek Rd. Gold Hill - Blueberries & Raspberries
Open 9-6 everyday in July, cash only


D & L Acres - 525 Fern Valley Rd Phoenix Oregon - Apricots
U pick price is .95 per lb. Open 7-Noon everyday


Sugar Plum Acres - 1850 Pioneer Rd, Phoenix -Cherries, Peaches, Roses, Tomatoes, Apricots


Valley View Orchards - 1800 North Valley View Rd Ashland - Peaches


Vaughn Farm and Orchard - 1014 Old Stage Rd Central Point - Blackberries & Pears, Available after august

Cliff Bars! Homemade

Ok, so... I know this is going to seem EXTREMELY cheesy. But, I have been far too busy this past week to stop, take pictures, download, size, post, delete, edit..... and so on. I mentioned to some friends that I made some Cliff Bars and a lot of people want the recipe I used, so... taken from another blog... here you go!

Hope everyone had a great 4th!
Blessings,
Dani

http://enlightenedcooking.blogspot.com/2008/06/homemade-cliff-bars-no-bake.html

Summer Days!

Just some more fun ideas for these summer days! 

First off, we have coffee cubes, dropped into some vanilla almond milk! OK, thats amazing! I am totally doing this! If you haven't tried almond milk yet, drop EVERYTHING now, and GO BUY SOME!

Next we have a simply adorable idea for any kids birthday party! Skew grapes to make caterpillars! Add some frosting and a mini chip for the eyes!

Ridiculous right? RIGHT! So so cute!

Ok, this is a little boring, but a cute idea none the less! Bell Peppers for the dip dish! Pretty clever if you as me!

This is a great idea, because Watermelon and Cucumber are coming into season, check out some recipes for  watermelon salads. This one has mint, sugar, vinegar, chopped watermelon and cucumber. Nice and refreshing served COLD on a HOT day! 

Fathers Day BBQ

I thought in celebration of fathers day I would post about something that my father and my hubby enjoy and that is 'Grilling'. Yes a post of healthier BBQ options. I hope you all have a blessed Fathers Day. Don't be afraid to join in on someone else's fathers day celebration if you don't normally celebrate. Let it be a good day!

Happy Fathers Day!

Blessings,
Dani

Grilled Cabbage!1 tbsp EVOO, bacon bits, 2 tbsp Lemon juice, 1 Tbsp Worcestershire, 1/4 salt and pepper, 1 cabbage, quartered and individually wrapped. BBQ 20 minutes.

Honey Lime Chicken

 Grilled Corn is always amazing

 Grilled everything!

Salmon

Grilled Avocado stuffed with Salsa and some sour creme

Grilled Avocado stuffed with corn beans and tomato

Summer Entertaining Treats

Strawberry's dipped in Vanilla Greek Yogurt and Frozen

Fresh fruit salad with baked cinnamon pita chips

Watermelon Punch Anyone? YUM

Cute way to dress up your favorite Lemonade

Baked apples cored out with cinnamon and sugar inside. After cooled insert vanilla 

Ice cream and drizzle with caramel. Oh goodness! 

This is fun when entertaining. Individual fruit salads. 

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Hummus is a healthy alternative to chip dips and even ranch...(dare I even say it).  I know ranch is worshiped in Oregon. I have yet to find a healthy Ranch that actually tastes good.  

I thought it would be fun to share some hummus recipes. My husband and I love hummus! If you are not a huge raw veggie fan, hummus allows us to eat those veggies with a little kick. Before you know it, you've eaten A LOT of veggies! It is also amazing with warmed or freshly grilled wheat pita bread.

 Here is a recipe that I like. Please email your favorite hummus recipe and I will add it to the blog today. No picture needed. Thank you for reading! I hope you have a great day. Remember we want to Eat to LIVE, not LIVE to eat. 

Blessings, 

Dani

Thishungrymom@gmail.com

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Ingredients:

• 1 can of chickpeas/garbanzo beans (15 oz)
• 1/3 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 cup -3/4 cup roasted red peppers (depending on taste)

Preparation:

In a food processor, combine beans, tahini, lemon juice and olive. Process until smooth. Add red peppers and garlic until desired consistency.

Garnish with parsley. Serve warm with hot pita bread or toasted pita chips.

Mrs. Hampton's Spring Rolls

Here is meal share number 2! Thanks to my awesome sister Elizabeth! Ok... who am I kidding. Thanks to my awesome sister Buffy! I call her Buffy but her 'professional' name is ~Elizabeth~. So fancy.

So, on with this amazing recipe. I will be making this tonight. Once again it will be fun to add my favorites to this meal.  My sister had some advice for the sauce and that is instead of water, use coconut milk. Hope you all find this recipe useful!

Spring Rolls


Dipping Sauce:


Dipping sauce
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
1/4 cup hot water
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspooon red pepper flakes


Rolls:


16 six-inch round sheets rice paper
3 ounces bean-thread noodles, cooked and drained
Shrimp- any amount
Chopped Lettuce (Can use cabbage, both colors)
Cilantro- any amount

To make the dipping sauce, combine the first seven ingredients in a small bowl and season to taste with red pepper flakes. Set aside.

To soften the rice paper, fill a pie plate or shallow baking dish with tepid water. Place 2 or 3 rice paper sheets in the water and allow them to soak about 45 seconds to one minute. Remove one at a time and carefully stack between sheets of paper towels. Continue soaking and draining until you have softened 16 rice sheets.

Turn over the stack and begin working from the bottom of the stack first. Place a softened rice paper sheet on a clean work surface. On the bottom third of the sheet, pile 1/4 cup of the noodle mixture. Just above the noodles, add cilantro, shrimp and then the lettuce. Or really however you want to stack it up. 

Fold the bottom of the paper up and over the noodle mixture, then fold each side toward the center, rolling gently and as tightly as possible from the bottom until completely rolled. Place the rolls seam-side down on a plate and continue until all the ingredients have been used.

Keep the assembled rolls under wet paper towels covered with plastic wrap. Normally spring rolls can be stored at room temperature for 3 hours, but because these rolls have shrimp, they need to be refrigerated or eaten immediately.   Refrigerating can cause them to dry out so keep that in mind.

Tips

Rice paper rolls can be purchased at an international grocery store. Because the rice paper is very fragile, be sure to buy extra to work with.

Hope you all enjoy this meal share.  I know I did! Thank you again Elizabeth for sharing it with us and I love the picture you sent! Very well presented! 

Blessings, 

Dani

Mrs. Caldwell's Meal Share

HEALTHY MEAL SHARE

YAY! So, finally someone shared a meal! (after elbowing her a few times lol)  My dear friend Rachel has shared a meal that she made for her family last week. It is delicious and I know this because she saved a bowl for me! Let me tell you, it was amazing. Loved it... and here it is:

Quinoa Black Bean Burrito

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

• 1/4 tsp chili powder (mild)
• Pinch of cayenne pepper (spicy)
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 cup shredded lettuce
• Salt

OPTIONAL TOPPING INGREDIENTS

• Grated cheddar or jack cheese
• Sour cream or Greek yogurt
• Pico de gallo or salsa
• Diced seeded tomatoes

• Hot sauce or sriracha
• Sliced avocado
• Guacamole
• Corn

This meal was so good. And it is so nice to dress a meal up how YOU would like it. If you are not into 'no meat' you can add some shredded pork, chicken, or beef to this meal.  

Hope you all enjoy! Thank You Rachel Caldwell for sharing this yummy meal that you found!  Remember we dont want to 'live to eat, but eat to live'. 

Blessings! 

Dani

Day 1 Sarah Mae

http://sarahmae.com/2012/06/the-reboot-day-1-distractions/

Following this new challenge! Day 1 today! Hope you can join in on the challenge! 

Blessings! 

Dani

The Reboot. Day 1

Meatless Monday Meal

I'm sharing this Meatless Monday meal. I am currently following a fellow blogger that has been posting about Meatless Monday Meals. Its fun to follow and get some more ideas of healthy eating. Thought I would share todays, I plan on making this tonight or tomorrow.

Spring Rolls! 

Ingredients

Serves 8

Dipping sauce
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
1/4 cup hot water
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspooon red pepper flakes

Summer rolls
3 ounces bean-thread noodles, cooked and drained
1/2 cup finely shredded cabbage
1/2 cup finely shredded red cabbage
1/3 cup grated carrot
1 red pepper, sliced thinly
1/4 cup sliced green onion
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted
16 cilantro leaves, whole
1 bunch Thai basil
1 pound teriyaki tofu, sliced thin
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
16 six-inch round sheets rice paper

Directions

1. To make the dipping sauce, combine the first seven ingredients in a small bowl and season to taste with red pepper flakes. Set aside.

2. To make the rolls, combine the bean thread noodles, cabbage, carrots, green onion, and sesame seeds in a large bowl. Place the cilantro, basil, and tofu in separate work bowls nearby.

3. To soften the rice paper, fill a pie plate or shallow baking dish with tepid water. Place 2 or 3 rice paper sheets in the water and allow them to soak about 45 seconds to one minute. Remove one at a time and carefully stack between sheets of paper towels. Continue soaking and draining until you have softened 16 rice sheets.

4. Turn over the stack and begin working from the bottom of the stack first. Place a softened rice paper sheet on a clean work surface. On the bottom third of the sheet, pile 1/4 cup of the noodle mixture. Just above the noodles, add tofu slices, a cilantro leaf, and a basil leaf.

5. Fold the bottom of the paper up and over the noodle mixture, then fold each side toward the center, rolling gently and as tightly as possible from the bottom until completely rolled. Place the rolls seam-side down on a plate and continue until all the ingredients have been used.

6. Keep the assembled rolls under wet paper towels covered with plastic wrap. Store at room temperature up to 3 hours; do not refrigerate because this will dry out the rolls.

Tips
Summer rolls can be made up to three hours before serving.

Rice paper rolls can be purchased at an international grocery store. Because the rice paper is very fragile, be sure to buy extra to work with.

(assumes 8 servings): Fat: 13 g Calories: 255 Fiber: 4 g Protein: 12 g Carbs: 31 g Sodium: 370 mg Nutritional info per serving

Recipe adapted from Wedding Showers by Michelle Adams and Gia Russo.

Happy Monday All! 

BLESSINGS,

Dani

Healthy Meal Share!

So, I thought it would be fun to see some pictures and recipes of healthy meals that you guys are making at home! This is all a journey and it is so nice to get insight as to what different combinations we can come up with regarding dinner meals.
I'm asking anyone that reads this to challenge yourself! Photograph your healthy dinner,  give me the recipe and I will post in right here on the blog. This should be fun, so please participate. Just share whatever you think is a healthier meal for a family. I'm so excited about this!!!
My email address is:

Thishungrymom@gmail.com

So I just need the recipe and instructions, along with a photo... and a comment about your meal.
Happy cooking!

Blessings,

Dani

1500 Calorie Meal Plan

http://www.brighamandwomens.org/Patients_Visitors/pcs/nutrition/services/healtheweightforwomen/eating/mealPlans/1500_calorie.aspx


I just found this great website that has meal plans for every day of the week. To see a plan laid out sometimes helps us to stay on track. This meal plan really gives us a good look at what 1500 calories per day looks like. A lot of times, we go way over, and maybe everyday.This is why people gain weight so fast. I think we need to start being honest with ourselves and take control over our eating. I know that I feel so much better, eating healthy food and giving my body what it needs and not what tastes good. With the plan to start eating better, and incorporating exercise in your daily routine, it will help you lose the extra weight as you remain faithful to the plan.

 Obesity has been linked to several serious medical conditions, including:

• Heart disease and stroke.
• High blood pressure.
• Diabetes.
• Cancer.
• Gallbladder disease and gallstones.
• Osteoarthritis.
• Gout.
• Breathing problems, such as sleep apnea (when a person stops breathing for a short episodes during sleep) and asthma.

I think it is so important to take control now, and stop living to eat, and EAT to LIVE. 

Blessings, 

Dani

Lentil & Black Bean Soup

I just made THE most amazing soup! So good! Very high in protein... and I think that just about everyone would love it! Please give it a shot, it was so easy to make and just very satisfying. My kids ate it, I ate it, Aaron had 2 bowls... it was a hit! This soup is going in the books for sure! Let me know how yours turned out! 
Comfort foods do not need to be high fat or high calorie. Soup is a great example. You can make delicious, nutritious, and satisfying soups such as this Lentil and Black Bean soup, which is packed full of low-fat, high-fiber goodness. If you choose to use vegetable broth, this makes a great vegetarian lunch.

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp canola oil (I always use Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
• 1 large celery stalk, diced
• 1 Green Bell Pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 cup lentils, rinsed and picked through
• 2 15-ounce cans reduced-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 4 cups fat-free, low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth

Preparation:

In a large pot, heat oil on medium heat. Sauté onions, celery, bell pepper, and garlic until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle cumin and chili powder, cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add lentils, black beans, tomatoes and broth. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 25 minutes, or until lentils are tender.

I topped mine with some chopped fresh spinach and a dash of fresh mozzarella! ENJOY!

Serves 8

Per Serving: Calories 127, Calories from Fat 14, Total Fat 1.6g (sat 0.1g), Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 503mg, Carbohydrate 22.2g, Fiber 7.1g, Protein 6g

Blessings, 


Dani