Need a Boost? Juice!

The New Year always inspires good intentions... plans to eat better... do better... be better!

Juicing is something that I love doing all year long, but am especially inspired to do at full throttle in the New Year!

{This is a repost from my old blog, Papermellie}

I would say it was about 9 years ago that I invested in my Jack Lalanne Juicer.

At this time, juicing was not as popular as it is now, and this juicer was only available via infomercial.

I remember this was my very first informercial purchase and I was so excited about it.  I was a young mother of 3 with little energy (I believe the middle boys were 1 and 2 at the time and Mel was maybe 7)  It was one of those late nights and I was entranced by what this juicer had to offer!  It was LIFE CHANGING, it claimed!

So I made the call and waited for that delivery!

Remember how I told you about myCricut and what a great investment that was...

THIS JUICER WAY SURPASSES MY CRICUT LOVE!

I will admitt, sometimes I'll go through phases, but for the most part I use my juicer on a weekly basis.

At first I was just juicing fruits.  Let's be honest, it just sounds SO much more inviting.

Then I started researching all of the different vegetable juices and their incredible benefits and I was sold on those too!

I want to tell you about the #1 benefit of this juicer for us.

POPSICLES!!

My 10 year old will only eat raw apples and carrots and not even very often, so very early on, I would juice an array of yummy fruits and sneak in a little carrot and spinach and freeze them in the popsicle molds (yes, these molds generally come with their own holders... they have since been lost and simply replaced with popsicle sticks). The kiddos go crazy on them! (nowadays I even add a little  ground flaxseed and chia seeds;))

They can enjoy a cool treat and I can feel good about what they are putting into their bodies! That in itself has paid for the juicer a hundred times over!

Often, I will juice a large batch of fruits and vegetables...

and then freeze them in these ball freezer jars... perfect for a single serving that I can thaw overnight.

Obviously, fresh juice is your most beneficial option, but I love the convenience of freezing them because it's hard to keep a large supply of fresh fruits and vegetables "fresh" for too long AND cleaning the machine takes a little time, so it is nice to do it once a week rather than every day!

There is a certain vegetable that I have avoided fro a while... I don't know why I was so timid to try these!

Beets seem to be all the rage right now, so I found a recipe and decided to give it a try.

I won't say it is my favorite thing on earth, but I actually quite enjoyed it.  The color is gorgeous and I think the fact that there is ginger in it made a difference.  I do love me some ginger!

Here is the recipe I tried (from this pin):

Energizing Beet Juice

(recipe is for 2 people)

1 large beet with its greens

2 Red Delicious Apples

1 Large Red Bell Pepper

1 Large English Cucumber

1 small slice of fresh ginger root

Juice and Enjoy!

Read about the benefits of Beets here and here

and the tremendous benefits of juicing here

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

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Someday Crafts

No-Bake Energy Bites

{This is a repost from my old blog, Papermellie.  This was one of my most popular posts and I wanted to tell you that after almost a year of making these on an almost weekly basis... this is one of my family's most fave {healthy} treats!!  Whether I make 1, 2 or 3 batches at a time, they are gone within a day!}

No-Bake Energy Bites {PI #60}

This has got to be my favorite Pinterest recipes thus far!

I am always looking for ways to satisfy both my sweet tooth and love for things that nourish my body.  As I've gotten older, I've been more in touch with what fuels my body and what shuts it down.

I LOVE sweets, but always regret eating certain things because I physically feel so horrible.  I'm slowly transitioning into a place where feeling healthy and energetic is much more enjoyable than a few indulgent moments of sweet treats.

Don't misunderstand, I find so much joy in baking that I will not be giving that up anytime soon, but am trying to find a better balance.

These No-Bake Energy Bites will definitely be a new staple in our home! They are the best of both worlds!

This is something that my children {and myself} can enjoy and I can feel good about putting this in our bodies for fuel AND I know exactly what is in there. These are honestly better than any store bought granola bar/ bite that I have tried {and we buy a LOT of bars here!}

Here is the recipe courtesy of gimmesomeoven

No-Bake Energy Bites Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (dry) oatmeal (I used old-fashioned oats)
• 1 cup toasted coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup ground flax seed
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Method:

Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed.  Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour.  Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you would like.  (Mine were about 1″ in diameter.)  Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Makes about 20-25 balls.

In case you are not fully convinced, I thought I would share with you just a few specific benefits of the bites.

The Oatmeal {courtesy of Care2.com}

Low calorie food; stops cravings.

Provides high levels of fiber, low levels of fat, and high levels of protein.

Stabilizes blood sugar and reduces risk of diabetes (type 2)

Removes your bad cholesterol (without affecting your good cholesterol).

Contains lignans which protect against heart disease and cancer.

Contains unique antioxidants beneficial for heart disease.

Protects against heart failure.

Enhances immune response to disease.

The Honey {courtesy of organicfacts.net}

Antibacterial and Anti fungal Properties.

Antioxidants.

Good Source of Vitamins and Minerals.

Good source of energy {easy to digest} Improves Athletic Performance.

The Flax seed {Courtesy of flaxhealth.com}

Fights Cholesterol, Diabetes, Constipation, Inflammation, Heart Disease & “The Blues”

High in lignans, Omega 3’s & Fiber

I went ahead and packaged these in little baggies for the kiddos to grab on the go!

You say you want a Revolution?

No more sitting on the sidelines!

You say you want a revolution?  

BE THE REVOLUTION!

This has been on my mind A LOT!  

{There is so much going through my thoughts right now that I hope this doesn't come out disjointed.}

I know this is heavy on my heart for a reason.

Maybe it is due to the fact that we have an over abundance of access to news updates so our awareness of the bleakness is heightened! 

 Maybe these things have been going on all along.  

Maybe, as adults, we simply see things with a new set of eyes than we did as teenagers.

My eyes were wide open, my attention perked and my heart was happy!

My 6 year old brought up Martin Luther King Jr. a few times this week {Thank you K teachers at Manchester Elementary for presenting our country's history in a way that is not only understandable but exciting to our little ones!} but on this day there was a different sense of curiosity in his voice about the topic.  He presented to me what he had learned with intensity and I morphed into "teachable-moment-mommy" in the blink of an eye.

We spoke of details of MLK's life, but the best part was that it lead to a great talk between he and I, along with my 12 year old.  

We talked about the importance of taking a stand for what you know to be right.

We talked about other historical figures and how it only takes one person to move things in the right direction.

I love talks like this!

It really got me thinking... I don't want to generalize, because there are some really amazing teens out there with a heart for the good and a passion to make a positive difference, but I also see the disturbing mindset of our next generation... one of discontent, disrespect, disregard and disengagement.  

We can all theorize the "why", and some of these answers are necessary, but I want to focus on the "how can we make it better"

Sometimes it's really hard to see the big picture...

Sometimes issues seem so overwhelming that we don't even know where to begin.

How about starting with some good 'ole fashion kindness?  

Seek it out! 

Someone around you needs to know that they are valued!

So here is the challenge...  

I have created a sheet that can be printed out and cut into strips for you {and your children}to hand out. 

at school... at the mall... at church...anywhere!

AND, I want to hear all about your experience!  

Shoot me an email or leave your comments below and I would love to share your experience with other readers on my blog.

Pass this along to your friends... get anyone and everyone involved!

It's a small step in the right direction!

*This is the beginning of a new blog series... "You say you want a Revolution"

Check back for a new challenge each week.

 

HaLlOwEeN

I am going to be super honest here... Halloween is probably my least favorite holiday!  There, I said it!

It has nothing to do with my religious beliefs or anything, I am simply just not a big fan.  I LOVE the fall and I LOVE to decorate for fall... just not usually Halloween in particular.  

I love pretty, sparkly, happy decorations, not morbid, bloody and creepy ones.

Of course, like any other self-respecting parent, I love to see my children enjoying themselves so we always dress up and trick or treat, but I typically don't put up any "Halloween specific" decor.  

For the past few years, the kiddos have been pleading with me to put up Halloween decorations, so I finally gave in... if you are a lover of Halloween, you will think this is lame, but this was my contribution to the holiday!  

{don't you see those creepy spiders crawling up my spider-webbed mantle:}}

HaPpY hAlLoWeEn

There is a good chance that these will be down tomorrow and some lovely "fall" pretties will take their place:}

Bittersweet Segue

It is now day 3.

It has been 13 years next month, that I have been home with my babies.

This week marked a brand new chapter in our lives.

All four of those "babies" went back to school on Monday.

I am now the mother of a Senior in HS {where on earth does the time go}, a 7th grader, a 5th grader and my baby is in Kindergarten this year. 

I AM BLESSED

I am so thankful that I was able to be here for my children all of these years.

My amazing hubby is one of the hardest working people I have ever met and without him my life would have looked so different. 

I wouldn't have thought to stay at home with my children.  Work was always the only option.

I would have missed so much!

My longing has always been to create for a living... whatever that might entail... I wanted to make beautiful things and prayed that others would love to buy said beautiful things:}

So this week I have been researching, sketching, designing and networking away and am loving it, but there is a subtle void in my heart.  

I have found myself also longing for the long days of rocking a tired baby {or 3 year old}, cuddles on the couch with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, coloring and playing Candy land.  

I actually miss the "mom, can you make me a..." and "mom, can you play with me"

These times go by so quickly.

These babies grow right before our eyes.

Sometimes segues are just bittersweet.

Our lives are in God's hands and I know His plans are amazing.  

I can't wait to see what He has in store for our family