Posts by admin:
- Hepatitis A and jaundice
- Gallbladder removal
- Appendectomy
- High prolactin levels ( have not looked into this yet)
- Try a different cuisine and learn about their culture.
- Italian night: Make your own veggie or meat lasagna. Make your own thin Neapolitan pizzas.
- If you have older kids, let them choose the meal and have them make it for everyone.
- Go the grocery store together as a family and pick out a new vegetable, fruit, and protein to make a new meal.
- Have friends over. Hospitality is not dead but needs to be enlivened. It inspires to prepare something different.
- Asian Chicken Cabbage Salad
- Grilled Chicken Skewers
- Mexican Fiesta Quesadillas
- Chicken Kale Artichoke Roll-ups
- Mini Bento Boxes for Snacks
- Turkey and Zucchini Roll-ups
- 1 pound 93% ground turkey
- 1 cup shredded zucchini
- 1 Tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 12 sprouted bread slices (ie: Ezekiel bread)
- 2 inch biscuit cutter
- 3/4 cup guacamole, store-bought
- lemon juice (to preserve)
- 3 tomatoes, sliced (optional)
- sliced carrots
- sliced cucumbers
- 6 small black olives per box
- Kiwis, chopped (1 per box)
- dark chocolate – sugar free ( Lily’s Chocolate)
- Farmer’s Ranch Tzatziki
- Cucumber Dill Tzatziki
- Spinach Parmesan Tzatziki
- Classic Tzatziki
- Lectures
- Workshops
- Grocery Store Tours
- Individual Consultations
- Choose 2-3 nuts ( I chose raw almonds and cashews along with salted pistachios.
- Choose 2-3 dried fruits ( I chose cranberries, raisins, and dried apricot)
- Seapoint Farms Crunchy Coated Black Edamame
- Snack Factory Fruit Sticks ( I chose apple strawberry)
- Burrito in a Bowl with grilled chicken
- Turkey Tacos with toppings with a side of rice and beans
- Veggie Tostadas or add meat
- Spaghetti and Meatballs with Green Salad
- Asian Chicken Stir-Fry with Brown Rice
- One Pan Meals
- Seasoned Fish and broiled in oven
- Grilled chicken with carrots and potatoes
- Mediterranean night: Grilled Meatballs, Hummus, tomato-cucumber salad and roasted potatoes
- Instant pot meals ( I prefer to make soups in it)
- Beef Gyros with thinly slices chuck roast with grilled onions and peppers.
- Vegetarian Italian Cheese Mushroom Sandwiches
- Spinach and Mushroom Alfredo Pasta
- Quick Sweet and Sour Chicken Pad Thai
Products that Jumpstarted my Clean Eating Lifestyle
September 11th, 2017I have had this update to share with you for a while. Many have asked me and have been astounded by my clean eating lifestyle change and consistency in it for 9 months. Not only is it by the grace of God that I have been able to do this, but having the right things for this mother of three.
Everything I share with you is based on my research. I am not paid for sharing any of these products but there are affiliate codes that help keep this blog alive. Any support is much appreciated. While I am not a licensed practitioner, I implore you to read about the products listed before trying them.
Motherhood woes
After I had my third baby in 2015, I knew that I had to make changes in my eating lifestyle but trying to do it with a newborn and two toddlers seemed so impossible. I thought I was trying all the right things but my weight would not budge. I even thought perhaps there was something wrong with my thyroid, but all tests came back normal. The diagnosis from the endocrinologist stated that I simply had to go on a low-carb diet.
Great. Was I given any ideas how to go about this change? No. None at all. I had my annual at my OB/Gyn’s office and they also encouraged some lifestyle changes but no recommendations were given so I did not make an effort. Fast forward to 2017 and I about had it with nothing changing in my life, and my weight skyrocketing to my highest weight so far.
Clean Eating Lifestyle on Weight Watchers
I decided to go with what worked after I had my first child in 2011. I knew it had helped back then so I was hopeful of it working again. This time though, my husband was supportive 100%. He saw how miserable I was and that he too could use some weight loss. I decided to join the meetings because I like the accountability and hearing encouragement from the leader. Not only that, but weighing myself once a week was definitely a motivator.
I joined at the end of January 2017 and I started researching about removing everything processed in my kitchen and pantry. While I did not drink diet drinks I knew I needed to stay from easy go-to beverages that were not healthy to my body. I removed sugar from my diet as well and started with a 3-day smoothie detox /cleanse. I prayed that God would give me strength to go about this lifestyle with a different mindset and not as an obsession.
I did this Bikini Body 3-day Detox to spearhead my journey and it was really great! If you are a person that focuses on texture, the smoothies in the recipe PDF are very thick. I enjoyed them but some might not.
Self-Love and Listening to Your Body
I known for a long time that I was hypoglycemic ( low blood sugar level), so if I did not eat small meals throughout the day, I would crash and get hangry. Many of the articles I read is that when it came to eating small meals and clean eating, is that it was important to have PROTEIN with every meal and snack. I chose to eat LEAN protein for my meals and I added a protein shake for 1 snack a day.
I have only used one brand because I have taste tested it for a long time and knew that it was very clean and vegan at that. Sunwarrior Raw Protein Powder has been so great in stabilizing my blood sugar and giving me the necessary protein for my snack that I made for my smoothies.
Herbs and Tonics
I dream some day becoming a herbalist. Even if I do not, I at least want to make my own little tried and true medicinal booklet to leave my kids when they grow up. My grandmother in Mexico is a true believer that all herbs have a benefit and a healing one at that. I tell her time and time and again to make me a book so I can something to pass on. Which reminds me…I need to call her again. 🙂
Another company that I came across was Sun Potion. I had come across them through an article, and went to their site and researched their products. I actually emailed them and even asked for recommendations based on my body. They even have supporting articles on their site including the benefits of pine pollen.
These tonics both showed that they could aid in boosting metabolism and balancing hormones. Ashitaba is a vegan blood builder and a rich source of Vitamin B12. Since I know I am deficient in B12, I knew this was going to be something I wanted to try. Once I ran out and have been without them for 3 months, I notice the difference. I miss them being in my life because I really feel like they made a difference. A combination of eating clean and healthy with the right tonics that claimed to do what it needed to seemed to be a good combination. Even so, without them, I have been able to lose weight consistently over the last 5 months.
My body has gone through a lot and the healing process is going to take a long time but I knew I had to start somewhere. Here are some issues that I have had:
Hormonally I felt off-balance and well, with a gall bladder removal, I knew I was not digesting well, but modern medicine leaves you hanging on a limb. I did my own research for that too! I added digestive enzymes and ox bile so that everything I ate could be digested. I was still dealing with heartburn, bloating, gas and more.
Superfood Mushrooms
Something that I learned a lot about were mushrooms. We are not talking simple white button mushrooms but mushrooms that are considered superfoods and adaptogens. Adaptogens became a favorite word for me because according to the definition on Google, it is a natural substance considered to help the body adapt to stress and to exert a normalizing effect upon bodily processes. I deal with way to much stress or in reality, I do not know how to manage it well.
Four Sigmatic Mushrooms
Juicing is a great way to fuel our bodies and keep our systems strong, but there’s one amazing vegetable that you can’t juice, and that’s mushrooms. In fact, medicinal mushrooms, which often grow on trees, can help you relax and get a good night of sleep.
But seriously, mushrooms are known to help support immune function, lower inflammation, balance blood sugar and alter gut bacteria for the better too. You don’t have to go walking in the woods for hours to reap the benefits anymore. I love the fact that several of their products are in bulk tins and are available in convenient single-serve packets that you can easily mix with hot water and enjoy daily.
One of my favorites is reishi mushrooms, which enhance the quality of deep, slow-wave sleep. You can drink them two hours before bed or anytime throughout a busy day. The reishi mushroom extracts taste incredibly smooth, almost like a light version of coffee (sans caffeine), mixed with herbs like peppermint and licorice to give it a fresh flavor.
Either way, I alternately added these packets to my smoothies as well and they tasted great. Knowing I was putting a healthy ingredient in my body felt good.
Have I overwhelmed you? Reclaiming health is hard work especially when the body has been abused. These are recommendations based on my research and what has helped me in the last 9 months. Currently I am 53 pounds lighter and have a goal to lose another 45 pounds by January.
Don’t delay taking charge of your health. I am learning that I cannot do it on my own strength. A change of mindset and added discipline can only be by the grace of God.
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T-Ball -Preschool Sports at United Sports in Downingtown, PA
August 29th, 2017One of the things we love seeing our girls do is having fun and being outdoors. I love that my husband enjoys sports so getting our girls involved is second nature. One thing we did this summer was place the girls in a t-ball league at United Sports in Downingtown, PA. Preschool sports might be daunting at first but it is fun to see your little ones running around. We had heard so much about what they offered they hosted the two girls to try out 2 sessions this summer. Thanks United Sports!
My husband has had a great time practicing with his girls since they were roughly 3-4 years old. We came to a point where we thought that they could try their hand at batting, hitting and learning the game with other kids. We ended up going every Tuesday from 6 to 7 pm until just 2 weeks ago. Every week there was a good group of kids who participated and eager to learn.
United Sports is a huge sports venue that has activities for all ages. I was even excited that they had so many different classes I could attend. At a glance, the venue seemed a bit intimidating but as I entered, there was always someone to greet me and answer any questions I had. Outside of the venue there were announcement boards showing what sports activity was meeting where. It was pretty organized to say the least.
While we had a mild summer, there were also many rainy days or days that threatened rain but United Sports was great, most of the time, to alert parents where the class would meet. Overall, the girls always came home having the greatest time.
Coach Meredith was the coach chosen to teach the class for the summer. She was really great with the kids and she had great authority to keep kids attentive and involved throughout the class. I loved seeing how animated my girls were at every class. I learned that my oldest daughter loves to run and be all over the field even when she is not supposed to. Very amusing. I also learned that my middle daughter loves hitting and she can definitely throw a ball. She just works well with others.
For every practice, my girls brought their own glove to catch balls and they brought their attitudes. They were there to learn! My kids returned every week excited to meet new friends and to put into practice techniques they had learned but in addition to that, they learned more about running to specific bases, staying in their positions where they were assigned, and throwing and batting. I loved seeing my active girls learning and playing well. Thanks again to United Sports for hosting our girls this summer! To check out more about what other activities are available:
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Mini Taco Turkey Sliders for Healthy Kids Bento Box
August 28th, 2017I am excited to get into a different routine and leave summer behind. I am excited to change things up in the kitchen, giving my family more variety on their plates. Thanks to incentives from organizations like Produce for Kids, who encourage families nationwide. From August 7 through September 22, families can check PowerYourLunchbox.com and pledge to eat healthier lunches. The digital program has raised nearly $60,000 for Feeding America® programs that benefit families and children.
This is a sponsored post with Produce for Kids. We love partnering with them because we know we are helping with programs like Feeding America. Please consider taking a pledge!
Finding inspiration for every meal or snack
When I plan for my meals, I try to stay with seasonal produce and then I add the rest of the ingredients to create a complete meal. I find inspiration on with recipes provided at grocery stores, cookbooks, Pinterest, and even other friend’s recommendations. The majority of my recipes are usually ideas I have created on a whim based on ingredients I have at home.
One common thread I find many expressing is making sure kids have healthy lunches and snacks. Kids are not eating their meals and mainly eating more processed or sugar-ladened snacks. Two things that I have seen that gets kids eating is having them try different foods and to get them in the kitchen helping. Here are different themes you can have at home.
Helping Needy Families Across America
Did you know that you can make a difference by just pledging to eat healthier? For every online pledge, lunchbox-friendly companies supporting Power Your Lunchbox Pledge will make a collective $1 donation to Feeding America® children’s programs such as Kids Café, Backpack program and Child Hunger Corps. During the 2016-2017 school year, 43,068 families and classrooms pledged to eat a healthier lunch, helping raise 473,748 meals for families in need through Feeding America!
If you are a teacher, then there’s a new and fun incentive this year. Produce for Kids has partnered with Eric Carle and his collection of children’s books as an added element to encourage classroom pledges. Elementary and preschool classrooms who take the pledge will be entered to win a Very Hungry Caterpillar reading nook for their classroom. Teachers can access Eric Carle and Produce for Kids themed activities and lesson plans at PowerYourLunchbox.com. In addition to the classroom element, every day between August 7 and September 22, Produce for Kids will give away a popular Eric Carle book to an individual who has taken the pledge. How fun is that?
Mini Turkey Sliders for Bento Box
My kids absolutely love it when I pack their lunches in a bento box. I do not have kids going to school full day, but we are on-the-go during the week. I like prepping their lunches in the bento box because it helps me be a lot more creative. I know I have a protein to give them, a veggie, fruit, a healthy fat and a nice treat. Sometimes I do a themed boxes like these:
My kids enjoy what I give them because I have varied their menu since they could start eating real food. I do not consider my children picky eaters but decisive eaters because once they try something once or twice, they decided whether they liked it or not. I was fine with no serving it as often.
I decided to make these mini taco turkey sliders because anything small is fun in their small hands. It personalizes their meal and they feel extra special. Thanks to the sponsors for helping me inspire my bento box!
Mini Taco Turkey Sliders + Bento Box
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Ingredients (12 mini patties)
Meat:
Assembly:
Bento Box options: (per box)
Instructions
Meat
Mix the ground turkey in a bowl and add the grated zucchini and spices and mix well. Let sit for 30 min so flavors come together. Form into 12 2-inch patties. Use a 2-inch biscuit cutter to form patties for right size. If you do not have a cutter, then measure into 1-ounce patties. Cook on medium heat on a non-stick skillet. Spray with olive spray and cook patties 4 minutes on each side or until meat thermometer reads 165 F.
Meanwhile, cut out bread circles from the sprouted bread using biscuit cutter. Reserve bread for egg in a hole for breakfasts.
Assemble dinner by adding each patty in 2 slices of bread, ad 1 tbsp. guacamole and one slice tomato and place a skewer. 3 sliders per adult, 1-2 sliders for kids.
For bento boxes, send kids with 2 patties, and 4 bread slices. Place in one of the larger compartments. In the smaller compartment, add 4 Tbsp guacamole ( slider and for veggie dipping), in the second smaller compartment add chopped kiwi. Add sliced carrots and cucumbers to the other large compartment. The smallest compartment is reserved to small squares of chocolate.
Thanks for checking out the recipe! I hope you find inspiration and when you do, tag your photos and ideas on social media with #poweryourlunchbox. Produce for Kids will notice and comment!
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Falafel Lunch with Sabra Tzatziki
August 25th, 2017Many of my friends know that I have a thing for Middle Eastern and Mexican food. I actually think I should take those ancestry tests to find out where my family is really from. Either way, I try to have a variety of different cuisines to vary my meals. Ever since I started eating healthier, I have tried looking for lighter versions of my original dishes. It is actually exciting finding alternatives. One of my favorite companies, Sabra, has some delicious tzatziki dips in different flavors and styles. While I have been familiar with Sabra tzatziki dips for a while, I thought I would share my enjoyment of them to you!
This post is a sponsored post with Sabra.
Sabra Tzatziki: Healthy dips for all
Snack time and lunch time are now never the same. If you are like me, dressings and dips are a favorite for me. Since I started my eating lifestyle, I have found my own substitutes to enjoy my favorite meals and dishes. It has taken me a while to get used to Greek yogurt, but knowing that it is healthier for me and that it fits in my clean eating lifestyle, is a plus. Sabra has FOUR tzatziki dips:
Each dip is consistently the same when it comes to the nutritional value, especially with the Spinach Parmesan, which tastes light an amazing lighter version of a Spinach and Artichoke Dip. For every 2 Tablespoons each serving is 40 calories. If you are on Weight Watchers, this is only 2 Smartpoints for each serving, which in my opinion is well worth it. I took a few dips to some friends who are in my Weight Watchers meeting and they were so surprised that these dips with so healthy!
Dips for Entertaining or Everyday
IT was really easy for me to find ways to enjoy Sabra. We were invited to several gatherings where I knew I needed to be prepared to have something healthier for me to eat. I made a large serving plate with fresh veggies and brought each dip for all to enjoy. The awesome fact to know about these dips is that they have lots of veggies included so there is no guilt in enjoying each serving.
Many of my lunches have included an array of veggies, a protein, and the Sabra tzatziki because it made for a great combination. I tend to always have pita bread all the time so I can make great wraps. One evening I made a beef gyro with added Sabra Cucumber Dill Tzatziki dip and it made the meal complete.
Another day my husband made me a snack while I was busy cleaning and he brought me a plate of veggies with bean chips and Sabra classic tzatziki. I mean the dip is so versatile, but great with many dishes.
I made a plate of homemade lamb meatballs with grilled veggies and added the Classic Tzatziki Dip. I am just glad that I did not have to worry that I was using too many of my calories to enjoy something so good!
Falafel Lunch Spread
One of my favorite ways to eat veggies is to dip or make wraps. I have a local grocery store that sell prepared falafel mix to make the patties at home. Instead of frying them, I mixed them and form patties and air-fried them to perfection! I then built a tray full of freshly sliced cucumbers, peppers, radishes and spinach and sliced some pita in order to make falafel pita sandwiches.
It was heaven on a plate! It is great to know that there are dips like Sabra that provide healthy options for those wanting to enjoy veggies a lot more without the guilt. Not only that, but it allows me to not have to spend the time preparing my own recipe. As a busy mom, having something healthy that is already prepared is not readily available.
There are so many options when it comes to enjoying tzatziki dips.. Here are a few options:
Classic dip: This can be enjoyed simply with raw veggies, pretzels, or in meat wraps like I shared above.
Spinach Parmesan: I enjoyed eating this dip with pita chips, sliced carrots and jicama, and it is even great in a hot wrap with grilled mushrooms.
Farmer’s Ranch: I loved using this dip in my tuna salad instead of using mayonnaise. It made for a creamy and lighter salad for lunch. It is a favorite with my girls with their favorite fresh veggies.
Cucumber Dill: This dip I like using as a dressing for my green salads and simply as a dip for my Greek dish interpretations.
There are many options!
Where to Find + Coupon
Sabra Tzatziki Dips can be found at ShopRite near the deli, in the refrigerated section.
GET a $1.00 off coupon by printing and filling out form at Sabra. If you try it, let me know!
Tag me @singerinkitchen on all social media. It is definitely something you want as a staple in your fridge. You’ll thank me!!
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Back to School Meals + Snacks with Giant Food Stores
August 23rd, 2017
I am hoping your summer has been going well. I have been trying to be a little present on my blog but summer activities and spending time with my family has been my priority. Needless to say, summer is almost over so we are preparing for my oldest daughter to attend kindergarten. OH MY! BACK TO SCHOOL is upon us and I have been brainstorming how to start our school year on the right foot.
This is a sponsored post with GIANT Food Stores.
Getting into the Back to School Groove
One of the things I always enjoy is cooking for my family but once the school year starts, it gets super busy and harried because I make all my meals the same day. I am not an expert meal planner because I thrive on what is in my fridge. I am inspired by my day and surroundings so every meal is almost unique.
I purposed myself this year to have a full calendar of meal ideas to make my life easier. Having a visual makes a difference and I have to admit that some days I am not inspired. Thankfully, I found a way to keep me in the groove and to keep our family in-step with our healthy lifestyle.
GIANT nutritionists for the win
GIANT Food Stores is one of the stores I shop for our family. I recently visited the nutritionist at the Havertown location to make sure I was on target with the way I have been feeding my family. I also wanted more ideas for healthy snacks for my girls especially since we are on the go a lot. Some other services that the nutritionist offers are:
My three girls got to sit in the office and enjoy learning more about eating fruits and veggies. They colored a rainbow and shared veggies and fruits they love eating. It was great to have the girls hear what I have been trying to teach at home. It definitely made an impression on them because my kids love fruit more than veggies. It was more an incentive to have more veggies ready at the table for them to munch during the day.
Snacks are also very important for everyone even me so it was great to hear about healthier alternatives and even understanding the labels especially since they are being updated on all packaging. It is wild to see the amount of sugar even in healthy snacks so knowing how much sugar my kids should be eating is very important.
Make Your own Trail Mix with Your Kids
I find that when I include my kids in the kitchen, that they are more excited about what they are about to eat. It is great affirmation to them that they can be of great help to their mom. After finding a few new snacks at Giant Food Stores, I decided to place a few different kinds of nuts and dried berries in bowls for kids to choose their own mixings. The newest snack for me was the black edamame which has a great source of protein and the girls new snack they chose was dried apple sticks. They were bother very tasty.
The girls did well choosing their mixings into baggies so that we could have ready to go snacks at any moment. I like seeing their faces brighten as they taste-tested everything before it went into the snack bag. All in all, it was a fun activity especially since it was a rainy day. Having the kids choose that they want in their bag makes them feel important.
Don’t forget that busy moms like us always need snacks, so make sure you make your own trail mix Here’s what to do:
I do not add any chocolate because I think it is unnecessary especially since there is dried fruit. I have the girls use a tablespoon to add 1 Tablespoon of each mixing.
Back to School Meal Ideas for Busy Families
Once the school year starts, our schedule is busy. One of the things we like to do is to make sure we have dinner as a family 5 out of 7 days of the week. It is one of the nicest places to be calm and to enjoy a meal while chatting with each other. I enjoy cooking so I make my meals fresh most of the time. I have found that GIANT Food Stores’ magazine has proven to be a great resource for recipes and meal ideas. My go-to meals during the week are:
Preparation for the School Year
Good luck with all your preparation. Do not be discouraged about eating healthy or your kids not eating healthy food. Kids’ palates need to be accustomed to healthy yummy food so keep going forward and give them variety. If they do not eat, there is always the next meal. Good luck!
