Wellness: The Power of Aloe!

For those of you who do not know me personally,

my daughters and myself suffer from eczema.

My whole life I have been battling my darn sensitive skin

and nothing has seemed to help.

I've tried the different  prescribed steroid base cream,

but putting so much of that on my skin always made me feel uneasy.

 There must be a better and natural way to reduce inflammation.

One way to reduce inflammation of the skin

is changing your diet.

The other is using all-natural remedies.. like aloe!

Oh Aloe, aloe, aloe....

...such a small weird looking plant..

...but so much POWER!!

Many of you know aloe from your makeup and lotions.

It has great healing properties for skin inflammation, burns and sunburns!

(nice, huh?)

Aloe can be bought in stores,

but why buy aloe when you can grow your own?

and it keeps reproducing!!

Yes, ladies! Aloe can be grown as a house plant!

Extracting your aloe is easy. Simply cut off a a leaf and make a slit lengthwise.

Squeeze the gel out and apply to skin!  

 All natural and soothing!

Start your plants now and you'll be set for summer!

Happy natural healing!

*If you are taking other herbal remedies, please consult your doctor to make sure aloe will not interact negatively with your current prescriptions and herbal remedies. Do not have children ingest aloe orally. Please consult pediatrician before use.

Recipe: Avocado Egg Breakfast

Avocados is a great fruit to add to your morning diet. According to MedicalNewsToday.com avocados have numerous health benefits such as healthy fats, vitamins, fiber and protein. I like to start my morning off with a nutritional energy and protein packed boost and this is my go-to breakfast addition. Its so simple! Tasty additions are salsa, chives or salt and pepper.

Ingredients and Tools:

2 avocados

2 eggs

Cutting board

Knife

Spoon

Muffin Tin

Oven

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and cut the avocados in half.

2. Take out the pit. Spoon out a small amount of the "guts" to create room for the egg.

3. Place avocados in muffin tin

4. Crack eggs and pour into avocado. 

5. Set pan in oven and let bake for 15-20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Recipe: Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken

Calling all busy Ladies!!

Here is a great crock pot and freezer friendly meal! 

For those who are just joining us, you will soon learn that I am a little obsessed with freezer friendly meals. Soo easy!

  Today I made Teriyaki Chicken over Rice. SUPER EASY! The best thing about this recipe too is that you can prep it before hand and freeze it all in a Ziploc freezer bag (my new best friend). Thaw and then dump it all into your slow cooker! Dinner is ready when you come home and only one bag to throw away! Easy clean up.


Makes two meals with 4 servings each.
(I made one today in the crock-pot and saved the other in the freezer for an easy meal later this month!)

 

What you need:

- Ziploc freezer bag (to store second meal)

- White rice

- 1 large can pineapple (undrained)

- 1 large onion (cut into large chunks)

- 1 medium bag of carrots

- 4 cloves garlic

- 1 green pepper- chopped in large chunks (optional: I have tons in the garden to use up)

- 4 chicken breasts- cut in half (I used tenderloins instead)

- 1 cup teriyaki sauce (if need GF, check label! there are some brands without wheat)

- Ginger powder to taste

Step 1: Cut up all veggies

Step 2: Label extra bag with directions and content.

           -Add 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce

           -Cook on High-4 hours/ Low 8 hours

           -Serve over rice

Step 3: Add meat to bag and crock-pot

Step 4: Divide veggies and all other ingredients between the bag and cock-pot.

Step 5: Start crock pot for desired time. Press air of our bag, seal and freeze for a later meal (lay flat to freeze)

Step 6: Serve over hot rice when done.

This meal took me 10 minutes to prep. I now have a meal ready with barely any work and PLUS a meal with no prep later this month :)

 **When ready to use the frozen meal. Move to refrigerator to thaw (enough to slide out of bag), place contents of the bag in crock pot, turn on, and dinner will be ready when you get home!

Happy Cooking!

Recipe: No Fry French Fries

I love french fries but I don't love the unhealthy benefits of them. I found out how to make my own french fries that are extremely tasty and curb my craving.

Ingredients and tools:

• Baking Sheet
• Oven
• Paper towels or napkins
• 2 large potatoes, peeled.
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400.
2. Cut potatoes in half horizontally; cut each half into fry sized pieces.
3. Place in a bowl of cold water.
4. Remove from water and dry thoroughly.
5. Toss with oil and sprinkle with salt.
6. Place fries on baking sheet
7. Bake until brown; flip occasionally.

Healthy Hint: you may substitute for other oils or potatoes.

Recipe: Crock-Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

This recipe was super quick to prepare and delicious! Will definitely make again and again! Plus, we had tons left over for lunches :)

Ingredients:

2 chicken  breasts- boneless/ skinless
2 cans Ro-Tel  (I used one can and then added diced fresh tomatoes)

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn or 1 c frozen corn
1 onion, chopped
2 cans low-sodium chicken broth
1-2 cups of water
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp chile powder
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp dried cilantro
corn tortilla chips (for topping)
sour cream (for topping)
shredded cheddar cheese (for topping)

Step 1: Place beans, corn, chopped onion, rotel, chicken broth, water and spices in Crock-Pot.

Step 2: Place chicken on top (make sure they are covered by some liquid)

Step 3: Cook on Low 8-9 hours or on High 6-7 hours. Take chicken out and shred, then mix back into soup.

Step 4: To serve, top with tortilla chips, sour cream and cheddar cheese.




 Happy Cooking!

Wellness: Tips to Survive Valentine's Day

Oh Valentine's Day, 

That one day a year that supposed to be full of love,

big romantic surprises, and admiration...

..but sadly the reality of this day for most of us

ends in disappointment...

Why is that?

I feel that most of us put so much pressure on this day.

-- If we are single, we dwell on the fact that we may not have that special someone 

to romance us and left with a feeling of  loneliness.

-- If we are in a relationship, we are often disappointed when our high-expectations for romantic gestures are left unmet by our significant other. 

Ladies, perhaps this sounds familiar? 

Here are some tips to get you out of the V-day blues and hopefully relieve some of that added pressure. 

1. Look at Valentine's Day like any other day of the year

Why is February 14 so darn special? This day does not define you or your relationship. This day only has as much significance as you let it.  If you are in a relationship, let everyday be an opportunity to show your love to one another, not just this one day. How your significant other expresses his or her love for you on a daily basis is probably how they will treat you on Valentine's day. Don't put that added stress and pressure on this day, it ends up making this day more of a chore then an enjoyable occasion for them.. If they do change things up and surprise you, be gracious and let your expectation go. 

2.  Pursue your significant other

Ladies there are no rules of dating anymore! If you have a specific vision on how you want this day to be celebrated, feel free to surprise them! You can always communicate with them and plan this day together.

3. Avoid sappy romantic movies

I know I love them too. But if you do choose to indulge in some good ol' chick flicks, just remember that this isn't reality. Relationships are hard and messy. They will never compare with the Hollywood version of love.

4. Try staying off social media

I love Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as much as the next person, but lets be honest, these social media outlets are not always good for us emotionally. Don't find yourself getting caught up comparing how you are celebrating (or not celebrating) to others. Your life and relationship is different then everyone else. This will only leave you feeling unsatisfied and disappointed.  Plus it's good to unplug once in a while to relax. Enjoy something for you. 

So ladies, take a moment to strip away all your expectations so you can do more then just survive Valentine's day.

 Do something for you and just relish in love.... love for those around you...most importantly... love for yourself!

Sending love to all you Dames!

DIY: Inspiration Board

Lately I have realized that I have lost my motivational momentum. I have found when I frequently view images and encouraging words that I get more done and eat cleaner. In honor of my yearning to keep on the path of success I have started my fiance and I decided to create an inspiration board for our living room. I encourage you to try to make one as well!

Supplies:

• Cork board ( to keep the look classy purchase one with a frame)
• Flat tacks
• Magazines that inspire you

Instructions:

1. Hang up cork board in a frequent focal point of your home. 
2. Go through your magazines and cut out pictures and words that give you that feeling of motivation. (you will recognize it as the feeling you get that you want to start doing your dream activity this instant!)
3. Tack the pictures up in a way that makes your board pleasant to look at.
4. You are done! Feel free to add or remove pictures and words as your goals change!

Hint: When creating your board please put up healthy inspirations. You should put up things that inspire you to do beautiful things in your life and to lift you up, not beautiful people you want to look like and shoes you want to buy. You need to look within for happiness.

Recipe: Juicy Roasted Chicken

Have you ever wanted to roast your own chicken, but the though of prepping it and roasting it yourself is just scaring you away? Never fear! It is WAY easier than you think. Whether you are a seasoned pro in the kitchen or just learning how to cook, this recipe is for you!

My husband is not a fan of chicken, unless it's moist and hidden within dishes.  So, I'm always trying new chicken recipes that he will enjoy.

Tonight was my second time making this recipe and both times was absolutely delicious. The celery keeps it so moist and the meat falls right off the bone. Plus, we now have lots of leftovers for future recipes!

What you need:

1 (3 lb) whole chicken- with giblets removed

1 celery stalk, cut into 3 larger pieces

1/2 c. butter

1 tsp garlic powder

Salt and Pepper to taste

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Step 2: Place chicken in roasting pan. Add 3 tablespoons and celery pieces inside the chicken cavity.

Step 3: Rub the remaining butter all over the outside of the chicken. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Step 4: Bake uncovered for 1 hr 45 min (until internal temperature reaches 180 degrees). Remove from heat and let rest for 15 minutes before cutting.