Cough, Sneeze, Wheeze....

Hubby & I have been sick the last few days, and still not feeling quite up-to-par. Although we’re being responsible and dragging ourselves into work, we’d much rather be home sleeping.

I haven’t been to the gym in over a week…and dare I admit this to all my bloggy friends…I actually miss it. Can you believe it? I miss my Pilates class and how good I feel afterwards (even though my balance isn’t very good and often times I end up feeling like a dork because I can’t keep my entire body properly balanced while elevating myself off the ground with my hands and my feet resting on nothing but a large ball that likes to move from side-to-side instead of staying anchored securely in place). *sigh* But I do love that class.

This week hubs & I went into this splendid health food store not far from our house…and fell in love…with the store of course (*ahem* we fell in love with each other long ago). Aisle after aisle of good-for-you-loveliness that I know won’t make me sick or give me a headache. Now if only our budgets were so wonderful and allowed us to shop in such places. ‘Tis a shame that such places are so expensive. My happiest find was a large box of honey-puffed-wheat for only $1.99. It is SOOO good with a handful of peanuts on top for breakfast!

As I was unloading our fabulously healthy food-finds at home and singing the praises of preservative-free foods, my husband exclaimed, "Pretty soon we're going to be wearing nothing but sandals and fig leaves!" That statement sent us into peals of laughter, which I might add, is a very common occurrence in our happy home. :)

My husband is also realizing the benefits of us succumbing to these Organic & Natural foods, and is just as delighted about it as I am. Well, maybe not quite as delighted, but pretty close. :)

Off to whip up some dinner for my man.

Tomorrow is Friday ya’ll! Anybody have plans for their weekend?

To Eat...Or Not to Eat

Bad ingredients are everywhere; they are inescapable.

Being raised in a family with a stay-at-home-mom, where everything was made from scratch, gave me an understanding of the preservatives and ingredients that I wanted to avoid when out cooking & shopping on my own.
Easier said than done.

I work 40 hours a week, cook, clean, workout, do laundry, and somewhere in there have to find time to worry about the ingredients on my ketchup label. Am I crazy? Paranoid? Or just trying to do the best I can for my little family.

 Here are the things I was taught (and have researched myself!) to avoid:
• Hydrogenated or Partially-Hydrogenated Oils (trans-fats)
• High Fructose Corn Syrup
• Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
• Excessive dyes/food coloring
• Aspartame

And if I haven’t board you already, keep reading and I will help explain why (with a condensed version).

Hydrogenated Oils –
Commonly Found in:
Pastries, ice cream, cookies, peanut butter, margarine or other butter substitutes, premade foods, microwave popcorn, doughnuts, candy, coffee creamers (yes, those ones in all the wonderful flavors), and many other things.

Hydrogenated oil is oil that has been processed into a substance that our body isn’t use to digesting, and over time can cause our arteries to become rigid or blocked. It has also been found to slow down your metabolism, thus helping you gain more wait. It aids is high cholesterol, blood clots, and other serious side effects.

http://www.naturalnews.com/024694_food_hydrogenated_oils_health.html

http://www.fitnessmantra.info/2006/05/22/hydrogenated-oils-the-hidden-killer/

MSG –
Commonly Found in:
Condensed soups (cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, etc), flavored chips, sausage, gravy, and salad dressings (especially Ranch)

 MSG tricks your mind into thinking it’s still hungry when it’s not, and makes you think that food tastes better than it really does. It has various side effects, including headaches and migraines, which myself and various members of my family have dealt with.

http://nikas-culinaria.com/2007/02/21/monosodium-glutamate-bad-for-your-brain-your-figure-and-your-health/

http://www.msgtruth.org/

Aspartame (and other artificial sweeteners) –
Commonly Found in:
Diet soda and other sugarless drinks, sugar free gum, diet foods, things listed as “calorie free”

Aspartame and other artificial sweeteners have been found to cause heath issues such as memory loss, headaches, seizures, and obesity, and has almost 100 possible side effects including those that mimic more serious illnesses like Meniere’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, ALS, Epilepsy, Multiple Sclerosis, and many others.

http://www.sweetpoison.com/aspartame-side-effects.html
 
http://www.lovethetruth.com/truth_about_aspartame.htm

High Fructose Corn Syrup -
Commonly found in:
Ketchup, Soda, Jam, Juice, Bread, Cereals, Candy, and many everyday foods

The addition of High Fructose Corn Syrup in all our foods caused a rise diabetes and has also been found to release enzymes straight to the liver causing it to store fat. Newer research has shown that certain products containing HFCS also contain amounts of mercury, which come with its own set of problems.

http://www.accidentalhedonist.com/index.php/2005/06/09/foods_and_products_containing_high_fruct

http://www.noweightgaincookbooks.com/worse_than_sugar.htm

http://smallnotebook.org/2009/02/03/mercury-in-high-fructose-corn-syrup-what-theyre-just-now-telling-us/

http://www.highfructosecornsyrup.org/

Food Coloring / Dyes -
Commonly Found in:
Jello, Kool-Aid, Candy

There has been scientifically proven to have negative effect particularly on children, and has been linked to the significant rise in ADD, ADHD, and autism. It has times been linked to thyroid tumors as well.

http://bodhimed.com/bodhimed/bodhiblog/crusade-against-food-coloring-unveiled.html

http://www.i-sis.org.uk/FSAadditives.php

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http://simplemom.net/watch-out-for-these-health-busters/
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There are plenty of articles available online for further research.

What does everybody think? 
Do you avoid it?
Don't think about it?
Make certain things from scratch because it's healthier?

Recipes, please!

If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you’ll know that I have fallen in love with cooking over the past several months. The time has come however, to simplify my week-night meals in the hopes of cutting back on our grocery budget and to have cooking & clean-up take less time out of my evening.
Which has lead me on a hunt for more recipes in the following categories:

•  Chili 
• Soup 
• Crockpot meals 
• Meals easily frozen

Anybody have anything they want to contribute?

But so it’s not all-take-and-no-give, here is a vegetarian chili recipe I made last week which was quite scrumptious.
(My hubby likes meat in his food and said it would be good some ground beef or turkey added.)

Bean Chili

•  5 c. chopped fresh tomato (if you don’t have fresh, or not enough, substitute with canned diced tomatoes) 
• 1 can refried beans 
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained 
• 1 can red beans, rinsed and drained 
• 1 carrot, shredded
• 1 zucchini, shredded
• 1 can corn, drained 
• 2 packages taco seasoning 
• 1 package dry Italian dressing 
• 1 tsp. chili powder 
• 1 Tbsp. vinegar 
• 1 c. beef broth 
• 1/4 c. packed brown sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a crock pot
 and simmer on low for 5-7 hrs.

Yes, it’s that easy.

ENJOY!

Zzzzzz......

This is how I've been feeling lately...

At work:

At home:

I need some energy.

Anniversary!

Twelve months have come & gone so quickly. We have learned a lot, changed a little, and our love has grown to depths deeper than I knew was possible. It was an absolutely wonderful year and I treasure the moments & memories it brought us.

Our anniversary wasn’t an extravagant celebration by any means, but it was simple & quiet (like us) and it was a wonderful day. The greatest gift is simply being with each other.

We went to one of those fun restaurants for lunch where they play country music overhead and have a bucket of peanuts on your table...and were you throw the peanut shells on the floor, which is the most fun part! :) 

At home we cut into our year-old wedding cake, a tradition we thought was pretty cool, especially considering we didn't really get to have any cake at the wedding unless you count feeding each other a bite when we cut it (but my bite was all frosting and I ended up running into the bathroom to spit it out...).  Mom had wrapped it up tight and kept it in the deep-freeze all year and it survived surprisingly well.  The cake was moist and the raspberry filling was delicious! 

And last, but certainly not least, we exchanged our very first anniversary cards.  My dear husband always picks out the perfect cards and writes the sweetest things inside...guaranteed to make me cry. :) 

It was a perfectly lovely day and a delightful way to spend the day commemorating our first year together.  I so look forward to spending many happy years with this dear man that God brought into my life. 

How have ya'll celebrated your past anniversaries, or any fun plans for future ones?